Why Didn't Geraldine Ferraro's Passing Generate More Media Coverage?

Liz Taylor -- two-time Oscar winner, AIDS activist and philanthropist -- died last week and received a mountain of news coverage as she was considered one of the last great American movie stars from the 1950s/1960s era. And she deserved a great deal of coverage as she earned a special spot in American popular culture history. (I contributed to the coverage here on this blog in and in a column I wrote about Liz, the working mom.)

Then on Saturday, Geraldine Ferraro also died and of the three Sunday newspapers I receive in dead tree form at my house, only one newspaper – the New York Times -- ran a page one story (though it was below-the-fold) about the first female, major party candidate for the vice presidency. The Boston Globe had a page one news blurb mentioning Ferraro’s death and telling readers to turn to page B9 for the obituary, odd given that Ferraro passed away in Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. My local newspaper, the MetroWest Daily News, didn’t even mention Ferraro on page one and ran a modest Associated Press story about her passing on page two.

By contrast, the day after Taylor died, the New York Times ran a large photo and story, above-the-fold on page one, the Boston Globe ran a photo and story below-the-fold on page one and the MetroWest Daily News ran a teaser on the top of the page, with a folder, telling readers to turn to page two for an AP story.

This just didn’t seem right to me. Sure, Taylor was a major American icon, considered a screen siren with Oscar-winning acting chops and a fascinatingly exciting life so it makes sense that she would generate media attention. As for Ferraro, whether you were a fan of her politics or not, she was a major historical figure whose selection as the 1984 Democratic vice presidential running mate “broke” the males-only glass ceiling for a national office. Certainly she deserved more coverage and attention than she received, at least with the papers I read, and on web sites I frequent (which didn't cover Ferraro as much as they did Taylor). There were days and days worth of Taylor coverage but a small fraction, it seemed, devoted to Ferraro.

According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism, Taylor's death was the third biggest news story last week, the week running from March 21-27, coming in behind the Middle East uprisings and the events in Japan. Taylor garnered 13 percent of newspaper coverage and 7 percent of overall media attention (cable/network TV, radio, online, newspapers). Ferraro died on March 26, within the period the think tank examined, and she didn't make it onto the list of top stories.
Do you think Ferraro’s death was downplayed, when you compare it to Taylor’s? Is it really all about sex appeal and the allure of the Hollywood celeb culture? 

Image credit: Time via Forbes.

Notes on Pop Culture & Politics: Stewart Questions Libyan Intervention, Liz Taylor's Best Films & New 'Mad Men' Season Delayed

Jon Stewart Takes on U.S. Action in Libya

After taking a week’s break from broadcasting, Jon Stewart stormed back to The Daily Show this week and quipped incredulously, “When we left [the air] the world’s two biggest trouble spots were Wisconsin and the set of Two and a Half Men.”

Not only did he question why, when we’re already engaged in two wars, we’ve now added a third skirmish to our slate of military responsibilities, Stewart asked, “Aren’t we also out of money? . . . You can’t simultaneously fire teachers and Tomahawk missiles.” Wonder what's going to have to be cut from the federal budget in order to fund the United States' role in enforcing the Libyan No Fly Zone? Or how much taxes will have to be raised.

Another interesting question which I heard on Morning Joe yesterday: If the United States is going to act as though we're the world's police force, why are we only selectively walking the beat? A commentator asked why the United States is getting militarily involved in Libya on behalf of protecting innocent civilians who want to live freely but didn't with Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, etc.?


Image credit: Boston Globe

What Were Liz Taylor’s Best Films?

Learning that Elizabeth Taylor has died of congestive heart failure and seeing those photos of her in her heyday cropping up on sites all over the web, when she was – get ready for this cliché which you’re going to hear a bazillion times over the course of the week – “the Angelina Jolie of her day,” has sparked my desire to watch a few Taylor flicks. But which ones?



Calling Liz Taylor aficionados: Which were her best films? Which ones would you recommend that I see?

New Mad Men Season to be Delayed

Seriously people? I mean really . . . how long do you expect Mad Men fans to patiently wait and drum our fingers atop our desks while the folks at AMC, Lionsgate and show creator/runner Matt Weiner debate the terms of the award winning show’s return?

Mad Men’s very first episode aired in early July 2007, I remember seeing its premiere because I was on vacation at Cape Cod the time and stumbled upon an ad for it while watching The Godfather on AMC and decided to give it a try.

Now, according to an article in today’s New York Times, we learned that the show may not return to liven up the vast wasteland that typically is summer TV. We may have to wait until 2012:

“In the meantime Mad Men actors like John Slattery, who plays Roger Sterling, are in a bind, expecting that they will be called back to work but unsure when that call will come. While walking the red carpet at a premiere of his new film, The Adjustment Bureau, last month, Mr. Slattery remarked to reporters, ‘I’m looking for a job.’”

Image credits: Boston Globe, AMC.