The Media and Jackson’s Death
June 26, 2009
It’s interesting how Michael Jackson’s death is driving the corporate news media. Issues like health care and the mess in Iran have been swept under the rug.
I wonder how the decision to do wall to wall coverage of Jackson’s death is made. Does the market — the news consumers — demand wall to wall coverage of Jackson’s death, or do the news corporations determine what gets viewed — or is it a combination of both?
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June 27, 2009 at 4:46 AM
I must admit it puzzles me. Why even Al Jazeera, the BBC, Le Monde (France) and our own CBC/Radio-Canada have joined the chorus. A music dealer has sold almost all the Jackson records he had in stores throughout the chain in many cities in our province. The last time I witnessed such a craze was at Elvis’s death. Even John Lennon did not create such a frenzy.
Could the record companies and their agents be behind it all? Big bucks here. I understand his succession needs a boost since he was virtually ruined financially not to mention physically.
June 27, 2009 at 6:09 AM
Nicholas Kristof from NYT opened this topic up for discussion at Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nejjqy
June 27, 2009 at 6:48 AM
@ Paul: I don’t understand why Jackson is more popular in death than some many others. Especially since he was such a controversial figure.
@ Mahendra: Thanks.
June 27, 2009 at 7:52 AM
I perused Kristof’s responses. Awesome…and a bit disconcerting. I agree Jackson, although I am not a fan of his, had an influence on the music scene, an influence that is still to be measured in time and duration, but making him more important and meaningful than evrything else????
June 27, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Unlike peace, or war, or sex, music is the root of all life. Actually, vibrations, in scientific terms. When you are in rhythm with the universe, all is well. When you are out of sync, everything crashes. Consider the sports term, “flow.” This is one reason MJ’s demise has such an emotional and visceral effect on the world. It’s also nice to consider all the good contributions he made so our short life on this spheroid has become momentarily more pleasant. Like the philosopher’s lotus flower, you can concentrate on the mud at the roots or on the beautiful flower at the top. Your choice.
June 27, 2009 at 10:53 PM
Paul I agree. I was ashtonished by the media hype, on bbc and cnn, the place I look for news on Iran.
July 12, 2009 at 7:24 PM
Hey Paul, long time no see.
Of course the media decides what we see, after the stories have been pushed by the shadowy government-types. Michael Jackson’s death serves as a great distraction.
It was amazing that during the early stages of the Iraq war that illegal immigration was covered with such gusto by the media. Again, a distraction.