To the New York Times, Tubbs Jones’ death less newsworthy than where an elephant, or Tori Spelling’s mom, lives
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Posted by Guest Blogger August 21st, 2008 |
By Guest Blogger Kristen Harbeson
Here is what the New York Times wants me to know about what is going on in my country on August 21, 2008:
1) Millionaires in Los Angeles are giving up mansions to live in condos. This story is accompanied by a picture of Candy Spelling, the smiling widow of Aaron Spelling and mother of actress Tori.
2) The scientists involved with pinning the anthrax investigation on Bruce Ivans three weeks ago continue to congratulate themselves on their sharp investigative skills.
3) Vermont wants to capitalize on their groundwater, and some people are worried about whether they will be able to flush their toilets.
4) An elephant in Dallas isn’t going to go anywhere.
If I didn’t know better, I would think it was a slow news day.
Fifteen stories below the “Distraught Elephant to Remain in Dallas” story, in the second to last article of the National News headlines, I could almost miss the fact that Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a fifth-term elected member of the United States House of Representatives, has died.
Tubbs Jones, a distinguished Congresswoman, the first African-American woman to represent Ohio in Congress, the first African-American woman to sit on the extremely powerful House Ways and Means Committee, a champion for the urban poor, for women’s rights and for social justice, a woman of grace, dignity, intelligence and power, died unexpectedly at the age of 58. This article about the death of a path-breaking elected official sits fifteen stories below “news” of an elephant whose situation will remain exactly the same.
I would have missed it completely if I hadn’t known that the newspaper had to report this sad development somewhere. Perhaps, though, the Times was just being ironic by placing the story about her death directly above the “Names of the Dead,” since Tubbs Jones was outspoken and unflinching in her opposition to the Iraq war from the very beginning, and voted against it consistently — one of the very few who did.
Not only did the Times not consider Tubbs Jones’ death to be as newsworthy as an elephant’s housing situation, the loss of this trailblazing American leader wasn’t deemed important enough to merit a breaking news alert in my e-mail… unlike Michael Phelps’ gold medals or Tiger Woods’ knee surgery, both of which the Times made sure to inform me about via Because clearly, Phelps’ medals and Woods’ knees have a profound effect on public policy for the urban poor and disenfranchised. (No, wait…)
It says something when ironic humor is the only possible alternate explanation for the placement for this story beyond inherent racism and/or sexism.
The New York Times should be ashamed of itself.
Guest Blogger Kristen Harbeson works in historic preservation - a cause championed by Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
August 22nd, 2008 10:38
Thanks for this post - I couldn’t agree more.
It is disgusting that major media outlets continue on with their racist and sexist reporting patterns. NPR has been very lax with their coverage of Tubbs Jones’ death.
Most major media outlets have a lot to be ashamed of, but this is a striking reminder of how bad things have become.
August 22nd, 2008 11:12
On a bright note, locally, the coverage here in Cleveland has been very good - particular online and in the radio news. Could it be even better? Yes. But I’ve not wanted for reviews of her achievements and info on her funeral etc. If anything, the bungle of her passing made it even more imperative that the locals get it right and good.
August 22nd, 2008 11:21
Actually, NPR was where I heard of her passing - I had heard of her aneurysm the day before - and their article wasn’t great, but at least it was there and it was prominent.
Responses (by politically aware, left-leaning, intelligent friends of mine) to my private livejournal post on the subject tried to say that they had never heard of her, and she was a Congresswoman, not a Senator, so they could understand why it wasn’t such a big deal.
The fact that these people hadn’t heard of her is a problem of itself. She was a major figure and nationally important, If these people hadn’t heard of her it was because the news outlets hadn’t been talking about her… despite her prominence in Congress.
August 23rd, 2008 09:38
Ha I’m not surprised. I never watch the news but I imagine it’s worse than you even describe out here in LA where it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between news reporting and entertainment reporting. Welcome to Hollywood! Anyway I am posting this to my blog. Hope you don’t mind me quoting some of your content!
August 23rd, 2008 09:53
Yep, Le, not only that, but I mean… compare and contrast the *weeks* of coverage of Anna Nicole’s death.
You’re welcome to quote some of Kristen’s content - just please attribute & link back to her post here at WIMN’s Voices.
August 23rd, 2008 10:14
Thank you. Here is the link to my entry:
http://covergirlsthedocumentary.blogspot.com/2008/08/death-of-woman-activist-and-new-york.html
August 26th, 2008 08:23
thanks kristen for a great post.
August 27th, 2008 08:45
Ditto the last comment. These juxtapositions are especially frustrating for lack of a better word but it helps to at least point out where the filters are lacking.