Edwards' Haircuts Do Get More Coverage Than Health Care Plan
With no apparent sense of irony, John Solomon threw this sentence into his Washington Post profile of Los Angeles stylist Joseph Torrenueva and the fallout from the infamous haircuts he gave to John Edwards:
It is some kind of commentary on the state of American politics that as Edwards has campaigned for president, vice president and now president again, his hair seems to have attracted as much attention as, say, his position on health care.
It might be said to be an equally sad commentary on the state of American journalism, too. We decided to take this challenge from Solomon, who has been subject to TPM criticism before, and examine the Post's own coverage.
The results were not that surprising. John Edwards was the first major candidate to announce a health care plan and the Post celebrated the occasion with one 300 word story Feb. 6 on page A3. Two subsequent stories, one 1200 words on A5 and another 1300 words on A3, don't focus on Edwards but compare the plans of the leading Democrats.
In contrast, the Post devoted over 800 words on the haircut story when it broke in April. Today's story was about 1200 words. Both ran on the front of the Style Section.
Post blogger Doug Feaver seems to have anticipated this criticism by remarking today that the haircut story has attracted a lot of attention. He observes that the haircut piece is "winning" over a profile on election strategist Alex Gage. The only contest it is winning in, however, is in negative comments about its newsworthiness.
So as a remedy to that lack of coverage about health care and the over-abundance of coverage about the haircuts, Solomon goes and talks to the hair dresser instead of the Edwards about what exactly is a "single-payer system" and how is it superior? Hack. Who wrote this piece for him?
July 5, 2007 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just saw a CSPAN coverage of a group led by phil donahue talking about the corporate controlled media and how when he was kicked off MSNBC his show had the highest ratings.
He was required to have 2 conservatives for every progressivve on his show by management.
July 5, 2007 2:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why not spend this extra reporting effort on trivial issues.
Our budget is balanced, everyone is graduating from high school, we have world piece.. what real news is there to cover?
July 5, 2007 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
No. This WAPO piece can only be described as a sad and sorry reflection of American political journalism. It doesn't reflect the state of politics at all. The politicians aren't talking about it, there are no policies about haircuts being discussed, and the only people who are tittering about it are those so-called journalists. It's disgusting.
July 5, 2007 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
How is Solomon still employed? Wasn't he the reporter that was flogging the non-story about the Lincoln Bedroom fundraising and "Coffeegate" during Clinton's years?
July 5, 2007 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
The NYT has some fluff in it as well:
Mrs. Clinton’s remarks came shortly after she and her husband made their third pit stop for ice cream in a 30-hour period, this time at the tiny Dairy Treat in Nashua. As little children adorably peeked in the windows, reporters and Secret Service agents crammed around the Clintons at the counter; she ordered a raspberry malt, and he had a strawberry one.
Mr. Clinton then threw down three 20-dollar bills and proceeded to offer to buy the entire press corps a round of malts. “I’m not a candidate anymore,” he declared, so there was no conflict of interest in catering to the media’s sweet tooth on a hot summer afternoon.
For the record, The New York Times initially ordered a small vanilla malt — $2.25 — but succumbed to peer pressure after Mrs. Clinton and others joked that vanilla seemed a little, er, vanilla. So a chocolate malt was ordered instead. Editors will be consulted about whether Mr. Clinton must be reimbursed.
PATRICK HEALY
No conflict of interest in the candidate's spouse buying you ice cream?!
July 5, 2007 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
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December 6, 2007 2:22 AM | Reply | Permalink