Media circus

Media circus is a metaphorical term used to describe a news event where the media coverage is out of proportion to the event being covered. This can include the number of reporters at the scene, the amount of coverage published or broadcast, and the level of media hype. The term is used in a number of ways, including as a pejorative description by critics of the media and/or partisan sides in the event; or harmlessly poking fun at the realities of the industry. The metaphor of a circus can be applied to the media in any number of ways, for example an extensive "parade" of pundits, spin doctors, and spokespeople are usually part of the show.

Related Topics:
Metaphor - News - Reporter - Hype - Parade - Pundit - Spin doctor - Spokespeople

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A media circus typically appears when a story revolves around a single location, such as when "Baby Jessica" (Jessica McClure) fell down a well. The well became the site of a huge gathering of reporters and cameramen, each gathering largely the same information for competing news organizations. Similarly, the home of the family of Elián González in Miami also saw an enormous media gathering following the intervention of the U.S. Department of Justice, complete with tents, food vans, and dressing rooms camped outside for the television networks' large staffs.

Related Topics:
Location - Jessica McClure - Elián González - Miami - U.S. Department of Justice

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In some cases, increased coverage may be based on an underlying social issue that the case is seen to represent. For example, critics suggest the Laci Peterson case may have been amplified because it concretely represented the opposing vocabulary in the abortion debate, i.e., whether someone could be tried for the "murder" of an unborn child http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/barber010405.htm http://www.meaning.ca/articles/news_commentary/murder_unborn_child.htm as compared to the "termination" of a fetus/pregnancy. This case even resulted in a law (Unborn Victims of Violence Act) allowing a defendant to be charged separately with the murder of the fetus in addition to the murder of the mother, rather than increasing the penalty for murdering a pregnant woman.

Related Topics:
Laci Peterson - Unborn Victims of Violence Act

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Media hype is another term used frequently in reference to a critique of news and entertainment media for putting undue focus on an issue that is less important than the coverage would warrant. The general critique is often that there is a significant opportunity cost when other more important news issues get less public attention as a result of coverage of the hyped issue. (See: Fnord).

Related Topics:
Hype - Opportunity cost - Fnord

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