Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Michael Jackson, Natalee Holloway, and a Runaway Bride

Just say no. Every time you see or hear the word "Aruba" or "Holloway" on the screen in the next few weeks, turn off the TV, or change the channel.
Arianna Huffington

I wouldn't watch an interview with the "runaway bride" if you paid me money. I'm glad Michael Jackson was aquitted but only because a conviction would have kept him in the news. I also don't want to hear about another missing person story that should be kept local but MSNBC insists that I simply must know about.

Arianna Huffington agrees with me and she has calculated the number of times these stories are mentioned on the networks in comparison to mentions of the Downing Street Memo (May 1st to June 20th.)

ABC News: "Downing Street Memo": 0 segments; "Natalee Holloway": 42 segments; "Michael Jackson": 121 segments.
CBS News: "Downing Street Memo": 0 segments; "Natalee Holloway": 70 segments; "Michael Jackson": 235 segments.
NBC News: "Downing Street Memo": 6 segments; "Natalee Holloway": 62 segments; "Michael Jackson": 109 segments.
CNN: "Downing Street Memo": 30 segments; "Natalee Holloway": 294 segments; "Michael Jackson": 633 segments.
Fox News: "Downing Street Memo": 10 segments; "Natalee Holloway": 148 segments; Michael Jackson": 286 segments.
MSNBC: "Downing Street Memo": 10 segments; "Natalee Holloway": 30 segments; "Michael Jackson": 106 segments.

Watch movies, sports or even bad situation comedies, but just say no to the celebrity scandal or missing person du jour. Turn off the network news and while you're at it, tell them why. I don't even want to hear the excuses from CBS or ABC that kept them from reporting on the Downing Street Memo even once.