A Famous Person Has Died

The link "television in the creation of public events" is not working.

Actually, the link on this page works, but the link on the August 28,2009 Archives page does not. Sorry, about that. Problem solved.

Actually, I changed the link as soon as you posted about it, so links in both places should work now.

Thanks for letting me know.

Incompetence: The Media's New Tactic to Getting on Top

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JeanineONeal/2009/08/incompetence_medias_new_tactic.html

The Camera, the Reporter, the News Room, AND YOU (or not)

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/KaitlinMonier/2009/08/fluff_instead_of_fact_why_both.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AjaHannah/2009/08/michael_jackson_died.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JessicaKrehlik/2009/08/broadcasting_didnt_kill_newspa.html

Sad But True

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JenniferPrex/2009/08/sad_but_true.html

This reminds me of something...

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AngelaPalumbo/2009/08/this_reminds_me_of_something.html

I thought that the comic strip, "A Famous Person Has Died" gave a fairly accurate representation of how news is often covered when it is "breaking." When the anchor asks "Dave" if there is anything going on where he is, he at first says no, and then announces that a group of people have gathered where the cameras are set up. The magnetic pull of the camera has a tendency to draw in crowds, which only add to the confusion as reporters struggle to find out what, if anything, is going on.

The square depicting someone "reading from Wikepedia" and stating that "this person did some good things, and some bad things" also showed a truth. Bare facts are hurriedly gathered so people who, until that point had never heard of the famous person in question, feel connected to the news. This is a good strategy, because it makes the news matter to more people. Though, in my experience with watching the news deal with the death of celebrities, it usually takes a few days or weeks for the "bad things" to be mentioned. Whether this is out of respect for the mourning family, or in order to create more news where, a day ago, there would have been none, I can't say. Perhaps it's a little of both...Or, more possibly, a lot of the latter and a little of the former.

A friend of my family has a bloggin website and recently reported on the death of Michael Jackson and the news. I thought it would be of interest to everyone!

Website: http://www.arthurnobilejr.com/2009/06/michael-jackson-icon.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MatthewHenderson/2009/08/jeff_goldblum_has_died_we_thin.html

I can't entirely agree.
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MeganSeigh/2009/08/i_cant_entirely_agree_with_thi.html

This comic strip is definitely comical in that it reflects the reality of some news programs that don't always know what they're talking about, or have nothing interesting to talk about, so they come up with a story about something gossipy, such as a famous person dying. It's also funny how they are gathering information from wikipedia in this comic, reflecting lack of knowledge in some cases.

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AprilMinerd/2009/08/news_worthy.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/GretaCarroll/2009/08/whether_its_news_writing_or_li.html

This is depressing but true. After this brief and comical read I though back to all the times I've spent watching the news and viewing this same phenomenon that is -- news so not closely related to me, so vague, and so pathetic that it's shocking. I feel, all the time, that the news is so desperately searching to find something that will create that spark to capture viewers, lure them off of easily-accessible internet news and put them back in front of the tube that all they can use are the mentioned examples, "(insert name) is DEAD," "(people) are ANGRY." It's sad, honestly.

I figure that this is an accurate depiction of most news programs. Everyone wants to know when a celebrity dies. As for the crowd of people in the comic, this just shows how even though a "tragedy" has happened, people still want to be in the spot light. All I have to say is that I am happy to be a normal, non-famous person so that when I die no random hillbilly will be hoping to make a comment about my death.

A Famous Person Has....

Usually my life doesn't drastically change when this happens

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AshleyPascoe/2009/09/well_all_be_on_tv_which_is_my.html