Cable News Coverage Can Distort (Update)

Are we missing the point in Baltimore? 

That would seem to be the case based on early coverage on cable news. So much of the coverage was based on speculation...looking for somebody to blame. The use of video wallpaper (The Burning CVS) shown for days distorts what is really going on. Politico's Jack Shafer points out that running the continuous loop of a burning store or burning car distorts coverage. The riot is real news, and it's good for ratings, but there is so much more depth to this story.

Poverty in Baltimore affects one in four, according to Census figures. 

More than 37 percent of Baltimore's children were living in poverty in 2011, up from 28 percent in 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates. The city's childhood poverty rate is unchanged from 2010.Sep 20, 2012

Unemployment in the poorer sections of Baltimore is around 19%.  Forbes published an article by Dan Diamond about why Baltimore burned, and it's really about the two Baltimores. There's a stunning graphic in the article that shows the difference between the two.

The issues surrounding poverty in Baltimore go back a long way. An article published by the Washington Post and Post tv found the roots of Baltimore's ills dating back to the 1950's when high paying jobs started leaving the city.

The riots are en expression of frustration. Martin Luther King, Jr. called riots the language of the unheard. King was not condoning riots, but he understood why they happen.

It Could Happen Anywhere

The poor conditions found in Baltimore exists in many urban centers in the United States. That means the potential for riots are embedded in communities across the country. For example, The median household income in Hartford is around $29,000. The median household income in Connecticut is around $69,000. It's a huge disparity in the richest state in the country. These statistics are based on figures published by the US Census Bureau in 2013. You can look for figures for your community at their website. I found Hartford's statistics on their Quickfacts page.

Some Go Deeper

Forbes, the Washington Post, NPR and others are taking a deeper look at the causes to the riots in Baltimore. It is easy to see it is about more than just race. It's about grinding poverty and the feelings of powerlessness that go along with poverty.

The Power of the Podium

Local public radio stations can take on the opportunity this presents to be involved in a meaningful way with their community. We have a bully pulpit and we can make a difference while serving the our listeners and the needs of the communities we cover. This issue calls for sustained coverage long after the cable networks have moved on to the next plane crash or back to Hilary Clinton's email or Benghazi.

Maybe Fox News should be renamed

Obamacare v. Philippines typhoon: How cable covered two big stories

Pew Research offered information on coverage of two major stories during the same time period last week.

Pew did analysis of the amount of time spent on each story by Al Jazeera, CNN, FOX and MSNBC.
The two channels with a political agenda, Fox and MSNBC, spent most of their time on Obamacare. Al Jazeera and CNN were much more balanced in their approach.



Al Jazeera focused more on news. The American counterparts were more focused on opinion instead of news.  The report points out, "In the sample studied, it offered by far the least amount of opinion (41%) when it came to commentary and opinion versus reporting or fact-based statements. That compared with 72% opinion on CNN, 86% on MSNBC and 97% on the Fox News Channel."
The report also pointed out that Al Jazeera's audience is really small. Does that mean the American audience prefers opinion over news? ( I think the avoidance of Al Jazeera runs much deeper.)

Since Fox News is 97% opinion...are they really a news organization? Maybe they should just be FOX.

Who Owns the News

Who Owns the News Media: The 2012 Database

The Pew Research Center Project for Excellence in Journalism released their 2012 database on who owns the news media. The interactive charts give readers a good overview of who is doing what.

The first charts I clicked into dealt with circulation, viewership and listeners. The information gives size of audience by company. NPR comes in fourth among radio networks. The problem there is NPR does not own any radio stations.

Dig in a little deeper and you will find who the owners are.

 For Radio they are: 

• CC Media Holdings Clear Channel -  160,099,000  million listeners - CC Media Holdings Clear Channel owns 829 stations with 2011 revenue of $251 million. 
• CBS - 82,178,500 million listeners - CBS owns 125 stations with revenue reported to be  $135 million.
• Cumulus Media Inc - 46,266,900 million listeners - Cumulus Media Inc owns 514 stations with 2011 revenue of $96.5 million.

Other Statistics

• The top on-line news sites are The Washington Post, Topix and USA Today.
• The top networks based on viewership are Comcast, Walt Disney and CBS.
• The top news channels on cable are MSNBC, Fox News and CNN.

You can find out a lot more here: Who Owns the News Media.