Assessing the coverage: Take 2
The Philadelphia Enquirer’s Jonathan Storm makes his preferences known….
Uncovering government lies is an important function of media in a democracy, but there’s no question that CNN, which saw its prime-time ratings increase in the last week more than fourfold over July’s numbers, did focus more on government failures than Fox, which, up nearly 150 percent in viewers, retained its ratings lead. (MSNBC had a quarter of Fox’s viewership, 40 percent of CNN’s.) But CNN reported extensively on rescue heroics, just as Fox was not devoid of sharp questions for government officials.
Fox’s interview-anybody-you-can-get strategy broke down when A Current Affair correspondent Arthel Neville reported that her cousin had been forced to swim through the shark-infested streets of New Orleans. What, no killer whales or giant squid in the brackish mix spilling from Lake Pontchartrain? No piranha?
Neville’s antics were mild next to the self-aggrandizing buffoonery of Fox’s Geraldo Rivera, an often-skillful reporter who loses nearly all credibility when he starts shedding copious tears on cue, or jumps in - on camera, of course - to assist in rescue operations.
Ummmm…what does Arthel Neville, who is part of FOX’s Entertainment wing as near as I can figure, have anything to do with Fox News Channel? And why does Storm not draw the distinction?
I believe Ms Neville was also interviewed on MSNBC.
Comment by johnny dollar — September 7, 2005 @ 10:50 am
Uh… well, she used to work on Fox News Channel and was a weekly contributor on the O’Reilly Factor. Then she went on to CNN to host Talkback Live, before returning back to Fox for Good Day Live, A Current Affair, and Geraldo . I believe that she has done news as well as entertainment.
Comment by frank — March 18, 2006 @ 9:13 pm