Cable News Spent Way More Time on Obama’s Handshake, Selfie Than It Did on Nelson Mandela

[Cali_Democrat]

The American news media ladies and gentlemen:

by Matt Wilstein | 6:51 pm, December 11th, 2013

If it seemed like cable news spent more time covering President Barack Obama’s handshake with Cuban President Raul Castro and “selfie” with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt than they did on the substance of Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, that’s because they did.

An analysis put together by Media Matters reveals that on Tuesday night, December 10th the big three cable news networks spent an average 62% of their Mandela-themed segments focusing on either the handshake or the selfie, with 38% of that time spent discussing Mandela’s legacy and the rest of the memorial service.

CNN appeared to be the worst offender, dedicating 67% of its Mandela time to the handshake/selfie and only 33% to the rest. Fox News had a 64% to 36% split with MSNBC doing somewhat better at 56% to 44%.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cable-news-spent-way-more-time-on-obamas-handshake-selfie-than-it-did-on-nelson-mandela/

Nelson Mandela dies and our media is focused on a handshake and a selfie picture.

Our media is completely broken.

[MADem]

1. The selfie--eh; that should have been just a blip, the handshake, though...?

There is a portentous aspect to that handshake.

If the coverage was "EWWWWWWWWWW! Obama shook hands with Raul Castro......coooooooooties!!!!!!!" then that would be lame coverage.

If the reports were "Does this handshake signal a thaw in the half century of frozen relations between Cuba and USA?" then the coverage was more useful.

Madiba is a hero for the ages, but life is for the living. And our relationship--or lack thereof--with Cuba is part of all our lives.

[Little Star]

5. +1

[Iliyah]

2. That and how wonderful the GOP party is.

Noting nothing that the Dems are doing which is far better while the GOP party is doing nothing but whining.

[Jamaal510]

3. Well, of course!

The word "selfie" does happen to be the word of the year, after all, so it's only expected.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/11/18/selfie-named-word-of-the-year-2013/3634727/

[NuclearDem]

4. Pretty much a case study in American media fail.

[Nye Bevan]

6. Well... on DU, there are no threads about Mandela's legacy on the first page of GD.

But there are at least two threads regarding the selfie (of which this is one). For better or worse, I guess it's what people are talking about.

[Cali_Democrat]

7. Most of the threads regarding the selfie were mocking the coverage

surely you can tell the difference.

Well, maybe not.

[spanone]

8. cable news is clown news

it's also spent more time on the 'fraudulent' signer