August
2002
From
the Editor: Media will help us dread the coming of September 11
In
the tradition of commercialism, the Trenton Downtowner brings
to you an early column on the coming season: September 11 Media
Season, of course. CNN's graphic artists have been planning for
September 11, 2002 since September 11, 2001. Make no mistake:
for the national and local media, for television, radio and Internet
outlets alike, September will be a commercial battle unlike any
you've ever seen.
It
isn't too soon for September 11 "remember" campaigns,
retrospectives and sundry media blitzes to start up; they'll need
to start up this early so that someone can be first. CNN, FOX,
ABC, NBC, CBS-they all know you're going to watch at least one
Anniversary Spectacular (and I mean that with all due cynicism).
What's the over-under on the first one of these occurring before
even September 1 rolls around?
The
tumult and shouting surrounding the recently proposed World Trade
Center redevelopment has been a media-created nightmare from the
start, and it's nothing compared to the endless inundation we
face when the anniversary rolls around.
Where
did this notion that the families of September 11 WTC victims
should be involved in the redevelopment design? Probably in the
minds of an attention-starved few, who knew that if they could
get the media's attention, they could turn their personal agendas
into a major national story.
And
the media were there, glad for the opportunity. Now you've got
the Port Authority listening to the entire world's opinion on
how they should redevelop their property.
Realistic?
Fair?
The
rush to be the first outlet to bring you "news" has
resulted in so much white noise in our news coverage that it almost
seems as though the real news is altogether missing from our daily
reports. Respect for the people-and businesses-who are subjects
of modern news coverage is a thing of the past. The only question
is: How far will it go?
When
you watch media coverage of the September 11 anniversary-and I'm
giving you more than a month's notice here-keep in mind the whole
time that what you're seeing is, for the most part, not news.
It's the media's insatiable desire to bring you the most maudlin,
most melodramatic, most hyped infotainment possible.
The
screens will be black. Then American flags will be waving in the
breeze, slowly. A young blond woman will be crying in someone's
arms; a year ago she learned that her fiancé was dead.
Everything will move in slow motion. A glimpse of Colin Powell,
a shot of George Bush, Lisa Beamer, Osama bin Laden, all in a
video collage accompanied by a gravelly-voiced announcer, letting
you know that you can turn to Channel X and relive-as if you would
ever want to-the year that was.
We
Americans, we love melodrama. And we're certainly susceptible
to hype. This almost infallible one-two punch will have us tuning
in for the whole month of September. You'll see. Try to be cynical
enough to know how viciously you're being manipulated.
*
* *
Then
we come to a local media controversy that I can't even blame the
media for. The protests held by the firefighters' union outside
of Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer's wedding.
I
can only imagine the outrage one of the picketers might have felt
if someone from the government had shown up at his child's sixth
birthday barbecue, let alone a wedding, to present some labor
issues.
Did
the city do the right thing in announcing the firehouse closings?
I don't know-we're not that sort of paper and I'm ill-equipped
to analyze the situation.
Did
the union do the right thing in protesting the mayor's wedding?
No.
Obviously not. Do I even need to say it?
Shame
on those who took part in the protest. The next time someone pulls
in front of you at the Route 29 merge, or the next time a telemarketer
calls you at dinnertime, remember this: You showed up at somebody's
wedding and attempted to ruin it.
This
city needs its firefighters, and it needs them happy and healthy.
It also needs a good healthy dose of mutual respect expressed
by the supposed adults who live and work here.
There
just doesn't seem to be a lot of respect to go around, does there.
-Joe
Emanski
Correction:
In last month's edition, the article on Cycle Logic stated that
the Cycle Logic is a program of Isles, Inc. Although Milt Sharp,
who along with Carter Patterson is involved with Cycle Logic,
is an employee of Isles, Cycle Logic is not affiliated with Isles.
