Yeah, I know this is supposed to be a blog about marketing higher education. But sometimes I just can’t help myself and I have to veer off topic just a bit. Today’s post is a case in point.
In a post on Friday about the shame of American TV journalism, Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachine points to a ThinkProgress video compilation of “some of the many, many lowlights” of how network and cable news networks covered the death of Anna Nicole Smith compared to coverage of other important stories, such as the war in Iraq.
The death of Anna Nicole Smith yesterday was a feeding frenzy for the national media, and coverage of the war was drowned out: NBC’s Nightly News devoted 14 seconds to Iraq compared to 3 minutes and 13 seconds to Anna Nicole. CNN referenced Anna Nicole 522% more frequently than it did Iraq. MSNBC was even worse — 708% more references to Anna Nicole than Iraq.
Watch it and weep. Or let the numbers tell the story:
References to Anna Nicole and Iraq on Cable Networks After 3PM ET:
NETWORK ANNA NICOLE IRAQ CNN 141 27 FOX NEWS 112 33 MSNBC 170 24
Time Of Segments Devoted to Anna Nicole and Iraq on Broadcast Networks:
NETWORK ANNA NICOLE IRAQ NBC 3:13 0:14 CBS 2:00 2:17 ABC 2:21 2:58
Andy writes! 
Not a comforting thought but the media had to cover her death. After all, they did create her.
Good point, Dennis.