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Friday, April 01, 2005
From One Deathwatch to Another
Terri Schiavo died yesterday after intense 24-hour media scrutiny for two weeks. Now Pope John Paul II is dying or already dead, depending on how correct some Italian reports have been and whether or not it's an EKG or EEG they were reporting on. The media - having been burnt by Florida 2000 - are dancing around the unsubstantiated news, wanting to be first but not wanting to be wrong.
Of course, the media can't help drawing comparisons between Schiavo and the Pope - I just heard CNN's Miles O'Brien ask Sanjay Gupta if the Pope left a living will. It'll be interesting to see just how far the comparisons will go and if anyone will hijack this tragedy to push their agenda on the Schiavo tragedy.
The cable news organizations are also pointing out that the last time a pope died, the media was much more primitive and slower. Very true, but the flip side is also that there are minutes that need to be filled, constant curiosity that has to be sated. I wouldn't be surprised if Larry King breaks out old interviews with Michael J Fox on Parkinson's. That said, the Pope has much more back story, extensive media footage, a bigger cast of supporting characters, and a more exotic locale. Which I know sounds crass, but let's face it - there are people in the media who are thinking in these terms and are glad to move beyond the seconds-long Disney-balloon footage of Schiavo which has played in heavy rotation like a TRL music video for two weeks on the various news channels.
On a more important note, I think it would be gratifying if the next Pope is South American, given the huge Roman Catholic population there. I'm sure bets are already being placed on that front.
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Of course, the media can't help drawing comparisons between Schiavo and the Pope - I just heard CNN's Miles O'Brien ask Sanjay Gupta if the Pope left a living will. It'll be interesting to see just how far the comparisons will go and if anyone will hijack this tragedy to push their agenda on the Schiavo tragedy.
The cable news organizations are also pointing out that the last time a pope died, the media was much more primitive and slower. Very true, but the flip side is also that there are minutes that need to be filled, constant curiosity that has to be sated. I wouldn't be surprised if Larry King breaks out old interviews with Michael J Fox on Parkinson's. That said, the Pope has much more back story, extensive media footage, a bigger cast of supporting characters, and a more exotic locale. Which I know sounds crass, but let's face it - there are people in the media who are thinking in these terms and are glad to move beyond the seconds-long Disney-balloon footage of Schiavo which has played in heavy rotation like a TRL music video for two weeks on the various news channels.
On a more important note, I think it would be gratifying if the next Pope is South American, given the huge Roman Catholic population there. I'm sure bets are already being placed on that front.
Post a Comment
Interesting angle. I had a bizarre TV experience, too: http://lebemax.blogspot.com/2005/04/multicultural-moments-pope-soccer-and.html