Posted on 02/01/2013 4:43:08 PM PST by chessplayer
On February 1, 2003, seven astronauts on board Space Shuttle Columbia died during re-entry as they returned to Earth from the STS-107 mission. Friday was the 10th anniversary of the disaster, but none of the Big Three networks morning newscasts marked this somber occasion.
ABC's Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, and NBC's Today understandably devoted considerable broadcast time to the upcoming Super Bowl on Sunday. However, this coverage contained segments to frivolous, celebrity-driven stories that could have been whittled down to air even a mere brief on the anniversary of the tragedy. Here are examples from each morning show:
-Today spotlighted the latest controversial Super Bowl ad from GoDaddy.com during back-to-back segments at 7:30 am Eastern. Anchors Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer brought on the two stars of the ad, model Bar Refaeli and actor Jesse Heiman, on for an interview. The NBC show's total coverage on the ad lasted 7 minutes, 10 seconds.
-Good Morning America devoted over 4 minutes to the controversy over singer Beyonce's lip-synced performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at President Obama's second inauguration, and her upcoming halftime concert at the Super Bowl.
-CBS This Morning devoted the most amount of coverage to the Super Bowl, as their network will be airing the big game. However, the morning show set aside 35 seconds of air time for briefs on pre-Super Bowl "trash talk" between the San Francisco Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony, and to whether San Francicso 49ers fans or Baltimore Ravens were better tippers.
Charlie Rose, CBS News Anchor; Screen Cap from 1 February 2013 Edition of CBS This Morning | NewsBusters.orgAnchor Charlie Rose noted how the New Orleans Times-Piacyune reported on "whether San Francisco [49ers] fans or Baltimore [Ravens] fans are the best tippers. Dancers and managers in local strip clubs say 49er fans are expected to outspend Raven backers because Californians have more money." Did we really need to know that?
By contrast, 24-hour cable networks CNN and Fox News did point out the Columbia anniversary later on Friday morning. However, as of 2 pm Eastern on Friday, MSNBC has yet to devote air any news brief or segment to the story.
I, at least, remember the sickening thump in my stomach as I was told at work about the disaster. I remember the stories of the waiting families as the seconds dragged beyond the time for contact. I remember reading the words of the Houston and Kennedy control centers as the workers were told to lock the doors and archive the data. I remember the search parties from New Mexico to the Gulf States retrieving the small and large debris of that once proud spaceship.
Finally, I remember an America that looked to the future with optimism and confidence even in the face of disaster. Obama and his peers have taken council of their fears and sold our birthright for a mess of phantasm and idiocy! I weep for the future that we are giving up.
Well, I must say that I can’t criticize them this one. I personally get sick of the wallowing in the mourning that often occurs on these tragedy anniversaries.
Last year, the media ignored the 40th anniversary of William Ayers bombing the Pentagon as well. It was an election year.
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