Contrasting Coverage: Mass Shootings

Will it ever end?

I find myself asking this question every time I turn on the news and see another story about a mass shooting. I think we are so desensitized to mass shootings in the United States, and they happen so often, that we are becoming numb to them. I am 24 years old and I do not recall a time in my life when mass shootings didn't happen. I've never experienced what it would be like to live in a country that is not ravaged by gun violence. Will I ever know what that feels like? Probably not. 

In this weeks post, I will be discussing both the Atlanta spa shootings and the Boulder Colorado grocery store mass shooting. They happened within 6 days of each other. I will be looking at articles from both NBC and Fox News, and discuss key differences in the headlines of their articles reporting on the each of the shootings. 

The Atlanta Spa Shootings occured on March 16, 2021, when Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man, walked into 3 different spas in metro-atlanta and shot and killed a total of 8 people. In total, seven women, six of whom were Asian, and one man were shot dead in the attacks. 

A week later, on March 22, 2021, another 21-year-old man walked into King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, where residents had gathered to shop and receive COVID-19 vaccines. 10 people were shot dead, including a policeman, as the gunman opened fire on people inside the store. The victims ranged in age from 20 to 65. 

A Fox News article about the Atlanta spa shootings headline reads:"Atlanta shooting suspect tells police attacks not racially motivated, was purportedly driven by sex addiction--Robert Aaron Long, 21, may have 'sex addiction,' authorities said."

An NBC news article about the Atlanta shootings headlined with: "8 dead in Atlanta-area spa shootings, suspect arrested--Six of the victims were Asian women, officials said. The shootings occurred within an hour at three spas."

A Fox News article released after the Boulder mass shooting read: "Dems' gun control agenda after Boulder shooting 'can't usurp reality': Colion Noir--President Biden is considering executive action on gun control, Psaki says."

And an NBC News article published after the Boulder shooting read: "Biden calls on Congress to tighten gun laws in wake of Colorado shooting that killed 10."As president I’m going to use all the resources at my disposal to keep people safe," the president said on Tuesday."

Fox News reports on both shootings with right-leaning headlines, dodging questions of racism and dismissing gun-control, where as NBC does almost the opposite with their headlines promoting calls for gun control and acknowledging race in the Atlanta shootings.

What do you think? Do we have a gun problem in this country? Racism? Sexism? Fetishism? Do you think it is right for media politicize mass shootings? Where do we go from here as a country?

Sources:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/colion-noir-democrats-gun-control-boulder-shooting

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/3-dead-shooting-georgia-massage-parlor-suspect-loose-n1261262

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/unfathomable-pain-democrats-demand-action-gun-control-after-back-back-n1261797

https://www.foxnews.com/us/atlanta-shooting-suspect-police-attacks-not-racially-motivated-sex-addiction

Can We Atleast Agree on the Weather?

I am switching up my blog theme a bit this week to touch on one thing that news outlets across the board agree on and cover similarly: The Weather. It is hard to find a topic or news event across Fox News, CNN, and NBC that they all can agree on and report on similarly. Natural disasters and extreme weather are two topics that no matter the news affiliation, are reported on with very little contrast. News outlets have become so increasingly polarized, that there are few topics they cover in similar fashions. Luckily for us, they can all still agree on the weather! 

Now don't get too excited, because if I were to get into the cause of increasingly extreme weather patterns and natural disasters, they most certainly would not agree. But this post is not about the impending threat of global warming....I am simply here to showcase that there are events that Fox News and NBC can agree on: STORMS!

The Fox News headline reads: "Severe storms, tornadoes possible across the Deep South-The biggest overnight threat of tornadoes remained over Alabama". The article goes on to explain that the prospect of more tornadoes overnight and into Thursday across the Deep South has forecasters advising residents to take extra precautions after a wave of storms pounded the region throughout the day Wednesday, leaving a trail of splintered trees and damaged buildings. The article states that scattered severe thunderstorms are expected Thursday for portions of eastern Georgia, through the Carolinas into extreme southeast Virginia, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. The article ends with a quote from the center stating "Significant tornadoes, wind damage and large hail will be possible from morning into afternoon," and "Severe thunderstorms will also be possible from parts of the eastern Gulf Coast into the southern and central Appalachians."

NBC similarly covered the storms in the south with their headline reading: "Storms leave trail of damage across South and East Coast--In North Carolina, TV anchors fled a studio as a circulating storm passed overhead. The weather comes after tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama." The article describes the storms that produced tornadoes and destroyed and damaged homes in Mississippi and Alabama swept over the Southeast and Atlantic coast Thursday, with heavy rains and winds that tore off roofs. In North Carolina, a rotating storm prompted newscasters to seek shelter and move from a studio to a makeup room during a live broadcast. The article included a dramatic quote, "It's over us. This is not the room we need to be in," WGHP chief meteorologist Van Denton said on air. There were no injuries, but the roof audibly rattled. The article ended by stating the National Weather Service had issued high-risk severe weather outlooks, which are somewhat rare, for parts of the South. 

So I ask you, "Can we atleast agree on the weather"....?

Sources:

https://www.foxnews.com/weather/severe-storms-tornadoes-possible-across-the-deep-south

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/26-million-people-under-severe-storm-risk-tornado-weary-south-n1261384

Contrasting Coverage: The Royal Family and Racism

For this week's post, I will cover the growing scandal amongst the British royal family and compare how both Fox News and NBC News reported on it. 

Buckingham Palace has been rocked by a media frenzy since the explosive interview of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by Oprah Winfrey about the couple's reasons for exiting royal life. It aired in the United States and in the United Kingdom and was watched by millions. Harry and Meghan's comments to Oprah detailed issues from mental health to royal protocol but also race. Meghan said Harry told her that royal insiders had expressed "concerns" about how dark the skin of their children might be. The couple declined to name the individual who made the alleged comments, but Winfrey later said that Harry had made clear it was neither Queen Elizabeth II, his grandmother, nor her husband, Prince Philip.

Allegations of racism within the family itself, and Meghan's admission that she felt suicidal during her pregnancy, have been splashed across newspapers around the world. Throughout their two-hour TV special, both Harry and Meghan spoke with eye-opening frankness, delivering accusations and rebukes that outweighed even Princess Diana's landmark interview more than two decades earlier. 

The Fox News article headline read: "Meghan Markle, Prince Harry want to be viewed as ‘biggest victims’: Piers Morgan, ‘I’m just not buying any of this,’ 'Good Morning Britain' host tells ‘The Story’". Fox News discussed how Piers Morgan felt about the interview, stating that Piers Morgan called Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "cowardly" for making allegations of racism against the British royal family without calling out any individuals by name. The article then goes on to further describe how Morgan, who co-hosts "Good Morning Britain," called Markle’s statements "insidious." Fox news was only concerned with discussing Piers Morgan's view on the matter, and failed to include other's opinions. In Morgan’s view, the couple did the interview in order to portray themselves as "the biggest victims." The article ended with quotes from Morgan stating, "It’s all about Meghan and Harry," and "It’s all about their mental health, how they’re feeling, how they’re being treated. They want the world, in the middle of a pandemic that has killed two-and-a-half million people, to view them as the biggest victims yet."

The NBC News article headline read: "Prince William says royals 'not a racist family' after Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview-William added that he hadn't spoken to his brother yet, "but I plan to," in his first public comments since the bombshell interview. The article went on to explain that Prince William denied Britain's royal family is racist in his first public comments since Prince Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey. The article quoted William stating "We're very much not a racist family," and highlighted that Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement late Tuesday addressing the interview, and said the family were "saddened" to learn the extent of the challenges faced by the couple."The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," the statement said. "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."

The main difference in how Fox News and NBC reported on the controversy was who they decided to feature when discussing the issue. Fox News related the controversial television personality Piers Morgan's opinions on the matter, where as NBC featured Prince William's feelings. I see one article as more of a controversial spectacle lacking depth (Fox), and the other calmly addressing the issue and featuring statements from someone actually involved with the royal family (NBC). One is dismissive, the other is reflective. 

What do you guys think?

Sources: 

https://www.foxnews.com/world/meghan-markle-prince-harry-piers-morgan-reaction

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/harry-meghan-interview-prince-william-denies-royal-family-are-racist-n1260627 

Contrasting Coverage: Governor Andrew Cuomo Allegations

In this week's post, I will be addressing the recent growing allegations of sexual harassment against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. I will compare two different articles- one from Fox News and the other from NBC News, and discuss how each news outlet chose to address the controversy. 

To start this post, I will go over a little background information. The first allegations arose in December 2020, when President Joe Biden was reportedly considering Cuomo for attorney general. At the time, Cuomo was still widely regarded as a hero for how he managed New York’s pandemic response. (This was before he was embroiled in another scandal over underreporting COVID death tolls in nursing homes.) On Dec. 11, Lindsey Boylan, a former aide to Cuomo, tweeted at Joe Biden, writing: “If you make this man attorney general, some women like me will be bringing the receipts. We do not need a sexual harasser and abuser as ‘the law,’ of the land.” Her allegation received little attention until Feb. 24, when she published an essay alleging that the governor made persistent sexual comments when she was his employee and kissed her without her consent. Since then, more women have come forward accusing the governor of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment.

The headline for the Fox New Article read: "Cuomo apologizes but won’t resign as he denies touching anyone 'inappropriately': 'I am embarrassed’, 'I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable,' NY governor says." The article then goes on to say that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo apologized for his past behavior following allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by three women during a news conference on Wednesday. The article emphasized that he is telling reporters that he is "embarrassed" by his actions and will cooperate with the New York attorney general's investigation of his conduct. The Fox New article includes a variety of direct quotes from Cuomo like "I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it," and "I feel awful about it and frankly I am embarrassed by it." The article then highlights how Cuomo went on to say that he "never knew at the time I was making anyone feel uncomfortable," that he has "learned an important lesson," and "will be the better for this experience."

Contrastingly, the headline for the NBC News article reads: "Top N.Y. lawmakers call for Cuomo to step down after he says 'no way I resign'- State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said they are "drawing away from the business of government." The article then goes on to explain that hours after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo refused to resign as new allegations of inappropriate behavior arose, a group of the state's top Democratic lawmakers questioned his ability to lead the state. The article included quotes from State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins stating, "We have allegations about sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, the loss of credibility surrounding the Covid-19 nursing home data and questions about the construction of a major infrastructure project," and" New York is still in the midst of this pandemic and is still facing the societal, health and economic impacts of it," she continued. "We need to govern without daily distraction. For the good of the state Governor Cuomo must resign."

The articles differ in the tones used when addressing the allegations. Fox News focused on Gov. Cuomo and his feelings and downplays his actions, while NBC focused on how top leaders felt about the accusations. Fox News leaves readers with the feeling that the governor potentially may have been wrongly accused, where as NBC focused on the possible consequences of his actions and strongly focuses on the opinions of other government officials calling for him to resign.

UPDATE: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who's currently in his third term, has now been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct by nine women. The allegations have triggered an outside investigation, calls for resignation from high-ranking Democrats, and an impeachment inquiry from the State Assembly. Eight more women have come forward with allegations of workplace sexual harassment or misconduct. The allegations vary in severity, with one accusation of groping made by an unidentified woman on March 10 potentially reaching “the level of a crime,” according to Albany police.

Sources: 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cuomo-speaks-ny-lawmakers-call-for-resignation-impeachment

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/two-more-women-accuse-andrew-cuomo-inappropriate-behavior-n1259896