A New Title For 'Pack Journalism' (Second Thoughts)

County Press (Suburban Philadelphia) ^ | 6-2-04 | William W. Lawrence

[Temple Owl]

Editorial

Second Thoughts

By: William W. Lawrence

06/01/2004

When the media covers the same story in lock-step with the same advocacy purpose, it is what I call "pack journalism."

John Leo came up with a perfect clarification of "pack" journalism in an article entitled "The Not-So Perfect Storm" which appeared in U.S. News & World Report

He called it "three green suitcase" journalism.

He wrote, "let's say a feature writer thinks green luggage is becoming popular. So the reporter taps out a story citing three people in different states who have given up black suitcases and bought green ones. The second paragraph begins: 'All across America, people are switching to green suitcases.' This creates a media trend that might be real, but is probably bogus and certainly isn't established by three sales."

He used the uproar created over President Bush's 9/11 ads as an example of being "a classic three green-suitcase story."

Leo said, "The New York Daily News broke the story on March 4 with a huge headline: "STORM OVER BUSH 9/11 AD."

This storm consisted of quotes from three unhappy members of victims' families and one fireman.

Leo noted that the next day, the Washington Post kept the story rolling, although it could find only two displeased family members and one fireman. So did USA Today. TV and print media blossomed with furor stories, prodded along by a quick press release from the Democratic National Committee that pointed to the storm in that morning's Daily News. By dinnertime, the story was all over TV. The next day, CBS.com was talking about "a flood of anti-ad criticism."

Leo wrote, "This 'flood' consisted mainly of 10 or 12 people quoted over and over. Some people turned up in stories because they were already in reporters' Rolodexes as complainers, unhappy about many different 9/11 issues. This group included a lot of vocal anti-Bush activists who were not really representative of the victims' families movement, but were fairly well known to the media."

You may have observed that the "three green suitcase" is still being happily used by the media to keep the Abu Ghraib prison story alive. Have you noticed even the old guy in the Inquirer's left-wing comic strip "The Boondocks" is being used in the "three green suitcase" caper. He is tired of "butt-nekked men."

I am pleased to have alerted you.

***

Why can't we have a groovy Governor like Colorado's Bill Owens? He tickled some 2,000 people during his recent keynote speech at the Michigan Republican Party convention by poking fun at the French.

The Denver Post reported Mr. Owens as saying, "You know why they planted those big trees along the boulevard in Paris? So the invading armies could march in the shade." And, he continued, "You know why the new French navy has glass-bottom boats? So it can see the old French navy."

Twice in the past year, Owens has refused meetings with French diplomats visiting his state twice in the past year.

Philadelphia Fats, our pride and joy, would have probably treated them to cheese steaks.

***

Jay Leno came up with this winner the other night:

"Did you see that (the movie) "Shrek 2" made $104 million this weekend? That is more money taken in one weekend since John Kerry's honeymoon. That's a big haul

[Temple Owl]

Three Green Suitcase journalism is a perfect description.

[Temple Owl]

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[Tribune7]

I like this:

Off The Internet:
The following article by Marc Levin, one of my favorite pundits, had to be redacted due to space limitations. Believe me, the material I cut out is as good as the stuff printed.
You Might be a Leftist If . . .
By Marc Levin
--You believe John Ashcroft poses a greater danger to America than Osama bin Laden.
-- You think President Bush lied to the nation but his predecessor did not.
-- You believe President Bush is too dumb to be President and Arnold Schwarzenegger is too dumb to be Governor of California, but the Dixie Chicks, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Barbra Streisand, Eddie Vedder and Jeanine Garofalo are qualified to discourse at length on foreign policy.
-- You believe all conservatives are racist, but do not think minorities can ever succeed without Affirmative Action. . . .

[Tribune7]

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