Michael Jackson's death: Did the press overdo it?

GOOD EVENING.
WELCOME TO BEAT THE PRESS.
OUR TOPICS, THE DEATH OFMICHAEL JACKSON, THE BIGGESTNEWS IN THE WORLD.
A YOUNG WOMAN'S GREW SOMEDEATH BECOMES A SYMBOL OFPROTEST IN IRAN.
AND WHY THE "NEW YORK TIMES"HELD OFF REPORTING ONE OF ITSOWN HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED INAFGHANISTAN.
JOINING ME ARE DAN KENNEDY OFNORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, KARAMILLER OF THE METRO WEST DAILYNEWS, JOE SCIACCA OF THE"BOSTON HERALD", AND JOHNKELLER OF thebostonchannel.
comWBZ TV.
FIRST THE DEATH OF MICHAELJACKSON IS BIG NEWS, BUT HOWBIG AND COMPARED TO WHAT, NOTAS BIG AS THE 9/11 TERRORISMATTACKS, BUT BIGGER THAN THEASSASSINATION OF BEYOND LENNONOR THE DEATH OF THE OTHER KING,ELVIS.
BUT WHY?HE WAS A GROWN MAN WITH CHILDLIKE BEHAVIOR.
A TALENT BEYOND MEASURE, WHOSOLD RECORDS BY THE MILLIONS.
HIS DANCE SKILLS WEREMESMERIZING, HIS PERSONAL LIFEA DIZZYING DISASTER.
>> WHEN EVER KIDS COME HERETHEY ALWAYS WANT TO STAY WITHME.
>> THAT'S JUST ONE CLIP FROM AJAW DROPPING DOCUMENTARY BYMORTON BA SHEER, WHEN JACKSONSAID HE SAW NOTHING WRONG WITHSLEEPING WITH CHILDREN.
RA MIRO FORES SAYS PEOPLE PUTJACKSON'S WEIRDNESS ASIDEBECAUSE HE DID SO MUCH GOOD.
>> PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLDLOVED HIM BECAUSE HE DID SOMUCH AS FAR AS CHARITY WORK,AS FAR AS HELPING PEOPLE.
THAT'S ALL THE GUY DID.
HE PERFORMED AND HE WENT OUTTHERE TO HELP PEOPLE.
>> AND HE SAYS THERE'S AREASON JACKSON'S DEATHDESERVES MORE COVERAGE THANTHOSE OF ELVIS PRESLEY ORBEYOND LENNON.
>> I THINK BACK THEN, AND IDON'T WANT THIS TO SOUNDDISRESPECTFUL, BUT PEOPLE HADLESS OPTIONS AS FAR AS MUSIC.
WHEN MICHAEL WAS OUT THEREWERE PLENTY OF OPTIONS FORNEWSIC.
>> STILL HE WAS NUMBER ONE.
AS FOR HEARING THE NEWS, HELIKE MILLIONS OF OTHERS GOT ITFIRST THROUGH TWITTER.
>> THE TMZ WEBSITE, THEY'REGETTING IT FROM THE INSIDEPEOPLE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTILTHE OFFICIAL STATEMENT ISRELEASED.
>> AND THEY DIDN'T.
AND THEY AREN'T WAITING FOR APRESS RELEASE TODAY EITHER.
REPORTING THAT A DOCTOR CLOSETO JACKSON IS MISSING, ANDTHAT JACKSON RECEIVED ANINJECTION OF DEMEROL RIGHTBEFORE HE DIED.
IN FACT, THE INTERNET CHATTERHAS BEEN SO HEAVY IT BROUGHTTWITTER TO ITS KNEES LASTNIGHT.
AS 5,000 TWEELTS PER MINUTECREATED WHAT TWITTER'S FOUNDERCALLS A PERFORMANCE LAG.
AS FOR THE COPY AND NEWS CYCLEFOR THE JACKSON STORY, RA MIROSAYS THE WARP SPEED OF NEWSHAS CHANGED ITS SHELF LIFE.
>> IT'S 2009 AND EVERY TIMESOMETHING HAPPENS EVERYONEGOES OH, MY GOD, THAT IS THEMOST DRAMATIC TRAGIC THINGEVER, AND THEN THE NEXT DAYSOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS ANDTHEY GO OH MY GOD, THAT IS THEMOST DRAMATIC TRAGIC THINGEVER.
AND FIVE MINUTES LATERSOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS ANDTHEY GO OH --AND THEY FORGET ABOUTEVERYTHING ELSE.
>> YOU MEAN LIKE FARRAHFAWCETT AND GOVERNOR MARKSANFORD.
ACTUALLY THERE WAS SOMEBODY ONTHE RADIO TODAY WONDERINGWHERE MARK SAN FOR WASYESTERDAY, IF THEY WEREANYWHERE NEAR THE JACKSONSTATE IN LOS ANGELES.
BUT THE NEWS SICKLE WHIPS SOQUICKLY, WE WERE JUSTREMEMBERING THAT ED MCMAHONDIED ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY ANDTHAT IS JUST GONE.
I'M NOT AT ALL PRICED, ORTAKEN ABACK BY THE AMOUNT OFCOVERAGE THAT THE JACKSONSTORY HAS GOTTEN.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S SHOCKING,FARRAH FAWCETT WAS GOING TODIE SOMETIME THIS YEAR, IT WASJUST GOING TO HAPPEN.
THIS IS, AS MUCH AS HE WALKEDTHE TIGHT ROPE AND HE COULDHAVE FALLEN OFF AT ANY TIME,NO ONE EXPECTED HIM TO DO ITCERTAINLY NOT YESTERDAY.
>> YOU KNOW, I GUESS THIS WASBIGGER NEWS THAN THE DEATHS OFJOHN LENNON AND ELVIS PRESLEY,BUT THOSE WERE HUGE STORIESTOO.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAD THESORT OF CELEBRITY GOSSIPINFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVETODAY THAT JUST TURNS THISINTO A MEGASTORY.
THE OTHER THING TOO IS TV MAYHAVE BEEN WALL-TO-WALL WITHMICHAEL JACKSON, BUT ONE OFTHE THINGS THAT REALLY STRUCKME TODAY, LISTENING TO THERADIO, WAS THERE WAS AN AWFULLOT OF MUSIC ON TODAY THAT WASNOT MICHAEL JACKSON.
IT WAS PRETTY HARD TO FIND ASTATION THAT WAS GOINGWALL-TO-WALL MICHAEL JACKSON.
AND I THINK THAT -->> LAST NIGHT THEY DID.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY'VEALREADY MOVED ON.
>> I THINK I SAYS SOMETHINGABOUT HOW HIS CAREER HAD FADEDMANY YEARS AGO.
>> I PROMISED I WOULDN'T USETHE TERM POP ICON, BUT I JUSTDID.
THE GUY WAS A FASCINATINGFIGURE, BOTH GOOD AND BAD.
THERE CERTAINLY IS A LOT GOODTO SAY ABOUT HIM, HIS MUSICASIDE.
OBVIOUSLY HE IMPACTED MILLIONSWITH HIS MUSIC, HE DID A LOTFOR CHARITY.
EVEN RONALD REAGAN RECOGNIZEDHIM FOR HIS WORK FORCHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, AIDRESEARCH, CROSSED THE COLORBARRIER WHEN IT CAME TO MTV.
BUT I WAS SURPRISED IN TERMSOF THIS COVERAGE NOW THENATURE OF IT AND HOW LITTLEATTENTION, AT LEAST ON CABLETELEVISION, ABOUT HIS CHILDMOLESTATION CHARGES AND HOWVERY LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEENPAID TO THAT.
I ALSO SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WASRESCARY ON A DISCUSSIONBETWEEN A COUPLE OF REPORTERSAND ANCHORS ON CNN ABOUT HOWHE HAD REGRESSED TO ACHILD-LIKE STATUS BECAUSE HEHAD NO CHILDHOOD OR MAY HAVEBEEN RELIVING HIS CHILDHOODWITH THESE CHILDREN.
SEEMED AS THOUGH IT WAS EXCUSEMAKING ALMOST TO ME.
>> I THINK HE WAS, AS YOU SAY,A REALLY IMPORTANT PERSON, NOTJUST AS A SINGER.
AND I WAS NEVER A FAN OF HIS,BUT UNDENIABLY HIS SONGS FROMBAD, BILLIE JEAN, THESE AREREALLY GOOD SONGS.
BUT HE WAS ALSO A MEDIA STORY,AS YOU SUGGEST, JOE.
HE WAS MAKING MUSIC VIDEOS ATA TIME THAT TV WAS NOT PLAYINGMUSIC VIDEOS BYAFRICAN-AMERICANS, AND THEYSTARTED TO BECAUSE OF HIM,BECAUSE HE WAS SO POPULAR, HEWAS SO UNDENIABLY POPULAR THEYCOULDN'T GET AWAY WITH NOTPLAYING THRILLER AND THESENUMBER ONE HITS.
SO IN A WAY I THINK HIS DEATHAS WEIRD AS HIS LIFE AND ASINTERESTING AS HIS LIFE.
HE'S A STORY OF SOMEBODY WHOHAD VERY DIFFICULT TIMERECONCILING WITH RACE, WHO WASA HUGE STAR, WHO WAS AN ADDICT,WHO WAS A LOT OF THINGS, ANDIN A WAY IT EN CAPS LATE A LOTOFERS TO OVER THE PAST 50YEARS OF WHICH HE'S BEENALIVE.
SO I THINK HE IS AN ICON INTHAT WAY.
>> YES.
I DON'T QUESTION THE EXTENT OFTHE COVERAGE.
HE'S BIG, YOU MAKE ANEXCELLENT POINT ABOUT HOW HEIN A LOT OF WAYS REFLECTED HISTIMES AS MUCH OR MORE THANANYONE ELSE ON THE SCENE.
I CHALLENGE THE NOTION THATHIS DEATH WAS BIGGER NEWS THANJOHN LENNON'S PASSING ORELVIS' PASSING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU MEASURETHAT.
THERE'S MORE COVERAGE, MAYBE,BUT THAT'S JUST A NOTION OFTHE TIMES WE LIVE IN.
I DO CHALLENGE THE NOTION THATNOT ENOUGH ATTENTION IS PAIDTO HIS WARTS.
I MEAN, I BELIEVE THE HERALD'SFRONT PAGE HAD FADE TO BLACKO,WHICH BOTH EVOKED THE NOTIONOF BACKO JACKO, THE BELITTLINGOF HIS MENTAL PROBLEMS,WHATEVER THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN,AND ALSO SEEMED TO INJECT AKIND OF RACIAL ELEMENT THERE,MAYBE YOU CAN COMMENT MORE ONTHAT.
BUT I THINK IT'S ALL OUTTHERE.
PEOPLE KNOW THIS STORY.
>> HE WAS NEVER FOUND GUILTY.
>> THE CHARGES WERE THROWN OUTIN ONE CASE AND HE WASACQUITED IN THE OTHER.
SO I THINK SOME DISCRETION WASAPPROPRIATE IN TALKING ABOUTTHAT.
BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS THE STORY.
THAT'S WHY IT GETTING SO MUCHCOVERAGE.
>> ACTUALLY HE PAID ASETTLEMENT IN ONE CASE, HEPAID $20 MILLION TO THEPARENTS OF THE 13-YEAR-OLDTHAT HAD BEEN STAYING WITH HIM,THAT SETTLED THAT CASE.
AND CERTAINLY ACKNOWLEDGEDTHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SITHERE AND TRY TO RETRY THE CASEOF CHILD MOLESTATION, I DON'TTHINK THAT IN TERMS OF THECOVERAGE I'VE SEEN THERE'SBEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION PAIDTO THAT.
>> ABC DID A LOT WITH IT LASTNIGHT.
BUT BACK TO YOUR POINT ABOUTTHIS POP ICON STATUS AND THECULTURE NOW VERSUS BACK WHENELVIS PRESLEY DIED AND JOHNLENNON.
AUGUST 16, 1977, I REMEMBERTHE DAY CLEARLY, I WAS IN THENEWSROOM IN HARTFORD,CONNECTICUT, IT WAS A REALLYREALLY BIG STORY THAT WE WEREFOLLOWING IN HARFORD, THISWOMAN AND HER EIGHT CHILDRENHAD BEEN MURDERED BY THISWACKO IN A LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD,I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE HUGHWAS, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN ELVISPRESSLY DIED.
WE AS A LOCAL TELEVISION UNITDECIDED TO LEAD WITH ELVISPRESSRY.
I WAS JUST, SIX MINUTES INTOTHE BROADCAST THEY MENTIONEDELVIS PRESLEY'S DEATH.
BUT TO THIS DAY THAT IS SORTOF A HAPPENING, BECAUSE THEYBLEW IT.
ELVIS WAS LEAD, NOBODY WILLREMEMBER FOREVER WHATEVERSTORY THEY LED WITH, IT WASSOME --IT WAS A MEANINGS WILLMERCHANDISE.
BUT THEY WERE TAKING IT TOOSERIOUSLY AND NOT GOING WITHTHE MOMENTS, WHICH IS WHATEVERYBODY CARED ABOUT.
>> A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION COULDDECIMATE CHINA AND IF THEREWERE A BLIZZARD HEADING FORBOSTON, THAT'S WHAT WE'D LEADWITH, BECAUSE THAT'S THEOVERRIDING THING THAT AFFECTSALL OF OUR VIEWERS.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO MENTIONJUST A MOMENT, WHAT THE MEDIACELEBRITY SPOTLIGHT DOES TOSOME OF THESE TRULY GREATMUSICIANS, BECAUSE I THINKTHERE'S SOME INTERESTINGPARALLELS BETWEEN ELVIS ANDMICHAEL JACKSON.
AS GREAT AS THEY WERE, THEIRBEST WORK WAS BEHIND THEM BYTHE TIME THEY WERE 25.
AND JOHN LENNON DIDN'T PRODUCEGOOD WORK MUCH BEYOND THAT,ALTHOUGH AT LEAST HE SEEMED TOHAVE BUILT A GOOD LIFE FORHIMSELF BY THE TIME HE WASASSASSINATED.
ONLY BY GETTING OUT OF THELIME LIGHT.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLY HIGH PRICETHAT THESE PEOPLE PAY FORBEING CELEBRITIES.
>> ONE THING THAT SETS MICHAELJACKSON'S DEATH APART FROMPRESLEY'S AND LENNON'S,LENNON'S WAS REMARKABLE FORTHE FACT THAT IT WAS A VIOLENTDEATH.
BUT MICHAEL JACKSON IS AGAINREFLECTIVE OF THE TIME IN THATFAME AND INFAMY ARE ALMOSTINDISTINGUISHABLE NOW.
O.
J.
SIMPSON IS A FAMOUSPERSON BECAUSE HE'S ANINFAMOUS PERSON.
BUT IT'S ALMOST THE SAME.
AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET TO BEWELL-KNOWN, ALMOST NO MATTERWHAT YOU'RE WELL-KNOWN FOR,THAT COUNT TOWARDS SOMETHING,PEEL STILL WANT YOURAUTOGRAPH.
PEOPLE STILL LINE UP TO FOLLOWYOU AROUND.
AND MICHAEL JACKSON WAS THISFASCINATING PAIRING OF BOTH.
A GENUINELY FAMOUS PERSON, WHOTHEN SHOWED UP TO COURT IN HISPAJAMA PANTS.
AND WAS INFAMOUS TOO FOR THAT.
>> WHEN SOMEBODY FEELS ASTHOUGH THEY SORT OF RELATE TOAN INDIVIDUAL ON A REALLYPERSONAL WAY, THEN IT BECOMES,YOU SORT OF REACH ICON STATUS.
I HEARD ONE OF THE REPORTS ONCNN THIS MORNING, SOMEBODY WASSAYING I WAS PROUD OF MICHAELJACKSON AND I WAS ALSO ASHAKEDOF MICHAEL JACKSON, ALMOST ASIF HE WAS TALKING ABOUT AFAMILY MEMBER, THAT THERE WEREPOINTS IN THE CAREER THAT THISPERSON WAS VERY PROUD OF WHATJACKSON WAS DOING AND THEREWERE POINTS WHERE PERSONALLYTHIS PERSON FELT ASHAMED ANDEMBARRASSED BY MICHAELJACKSON.
SO WHEN SOMEONE REACHES THATSORT OF PERSONAL LEVEL WITHPEOPLE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TOCONNECT WITH, THEY HAVEREACHED ICON STATUS.
THAT'S WHY THE MEDIA COVERSTHESE THINGS, THEY KNOW THATPEOPLE FEEL PERSONALLYIMPACTED BY IT.
>> AND IT'S FITTING GIVEN THESORT OF TAWDRY TABLOID ASPECTSOF JACKSON'S LIFE THAT HAVEPROJECTED HIS STORY BEYONDTHAT OF VERY POPULAR MUSICIANTO ICONIC, NOT TO OVERUSE THATTERM, IT'S FITTING THAT IT'STMZ, THE EXPERT PURVEYORS OFDIRT, WHO GOT THE STORY FIRST.
THEY'RE OUT IN L.
A.
, ITHAPPENED IN THEIR BACK YARDAND THEY HAD THE GOOD SOURCES,THEY GOT THE STORY, AND THEYGOT IT RIGHT, BY THE WAY.
>> I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TOGET IT RIGHT.
THEY ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT.