Thursday, March 24, 2011

USAT | Comparing Taylor, Jackson front pages

This morning's pull-out-all-the-stops coverage of Elizabeth Taylor's death yesterday recalls the blowout treatment given to the June 2009 death of her friend, Michael Jackson.

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[Image: Newseum]

4 comments:

  1. The covers seem to argue that Taylor is not the biggest star ever, despite the question in the headline. Michael Jackson got considerably better play, owning the top 2/3 of the front page.

    That's why I think journalists should resist ridiculously over the top assertions even when they're only meant as conversation starters. This isn't a slam on USAT, by the way, but on the way the media in general covers celebrities. Too often, we buy into the bigger-than-life hype and try to crown some guy with one good album the next Elvis Presley.

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  2. To be fair, Jackson's death was unexpected, and Liz Taylor's obit has been written and in the can for the better part of 15 years. That, to me, would justify the difference in play.

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  3. I completely agree with Newsie78.
    The Jackson death was the complete surprise of a very popular figure.
    The Taylor death is a normal passing of a star who had seen better days.

    I have not seen many sellouts today either, where the Jackson cover was next to impossible to find after mid morning.

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  4. Today's front page doesn't have an advertisement stripped across the bottom. When's the last time that happened?

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