Is the impeachment trial
of President Donald Trump in the U.S. Senate crowding out other news coverage?
The average person in the United States may remember little about any other
news story in recent days.
Actually even persons who
only briefly follow the news may still have gotten a bit of news about a few
other stories like the upcoming Democratic primaries and the outbreak in China
of a new type of coronavirus, in addition to the impeachment coverage. But what
about other stories?
What about the horrible locust
infestation in Kenya[1]
that may lead to enormous hunger in that nation? How about the recent earthquake
in Turkey[2]
or the recent warehouse
explosion in Houston[3]?
You probably remember
little about the three incidents in the last paragraph, and they did at least
get significant coverage on many major newscasts. Lots of other news stories
got little or no attention in recent days or weeks.
Limitations
on Media News Coverage
The news media, in the
United States at least, often seems to focus on one story or a few stories at
the expense of not covering many other newsworthy things.
For one thing, the news media
focuses on the unusual, what is out of the ordinary. Therefore, the new coronavirus
outbreak in China is news, whereas the daily deaths from heart disease and
cancer of thousands of people are less newsworthy.
Furthermore, a radio
newscast of five minutes, three minutes, or one minute can only cover a few
things. Even a thirty-minute television network newscast covers relatively few
stories after allowing for commercials and some entertainment-related news that
may be fluff but attract audiences. Persons depending on social media sources
like Facebook and Twitter get even less hard news.
Those who read daily
newspapers thoroughly and/or take the time to read many stories on major
established news websites like the Associated Press, Reuters, the New York
Times, the Wall Street Journal, and CNN are probably better informed,
especially if they seek both liberal and conservative viewpoints, as well as
unbiased reporting.
News sites like the
DrudgeReport that feature many stories from various sources help also. But even
major news media outlets that cover many stories typically put the impeachment
as the feature or lead story, with things like the Chinese virus outbreak and
Democratic primary close behind.
Much news gets little
attention, especially when there is an ongoing major story like the impeachment
trial. Even when there is no major ongoing breaking news story, much news is
never reported. Additionally, much of what is reported seems buried on the
inside pages of newspapers, on secondary screens on websites, and in brief
mentions on newscasts.
Monopolizing
Senate Business
In addition to the effect
on news coverage, the Senate trial virtually monopolizes the United States
Senate’s work, so any other Senate activity is basically postponed while the
trial goes on. Maybe this is as it should be, since allotting only half of a
day’s work to the trial and allotting the other half to other duties might unnecessarily
distract Senators and affect the Senate negatively unless something urgent were
pending.
But what if something
urgent were to come up? Would the trial recess? Would it be allotted only a few
hours a day of the Senate’s time? I don’t know, but I’m confident there are
procedures for such a contingency.
Some
Good News
Some good news in this
era of the Internet and cell phones with cameras is that if something
newsworthy happens somewhere where a human is, there is a good probably that
someone will photograph and report it somewhere.
Sifting the significant
hard news out of billions of online posts isn’t easy though. I urge readers to
seek out unbiased hard news and to pray for God’s perfect will in all things.
Even if something doesn’t make the mass media news reports, praying for God’s
perfect will can help make the situation work out well whatever it is. Prayer
is the greatest power we humans have on Earth. Let’s seek to use it regularly.
ENDNOTES:
[1] “Kenya suffers
worst locust infestation in 70 years as millions of insects swarm farmland”;
Associated Press article accessed on the website of The Guardian; January 25,
2020; webpage accessed January 26, 2020; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/26/kenya-suffers-worst-locust-infestation-in-70-years-as-millions-of-insects-swarm-farmland
[2] Isil Sariyuce,
Hamdi Alkhshali and Amir Vera; “Death toll rises to 36 and at least 1,607
hospitalized in Turkey earthquake”; CNN; updated January 26, 2020; webpage
accessed January 26, 2020; https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/25/europe/turkey-earthquake-intl/index.html
[3] St. John
Barned-Smith, Jay R. Jordan and Nancy Sarnoff; “Massive west Houston explosion
claims two lives, devastates Gessner-area neighborhoods”; Houston Chronicle;
January 24, 2020; webpage accessed January 26, 2020; https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Massive-explosion-rocks-west-Houston-Friday-15000793.php
NOTE:
This article being
submitted to Google Blogger on January 26, 2020 is virtually identical to an article
the author submitted to Craft News Report, a website operated by his friend Paul
Craft, early the same day, January 26, 2020.
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