By Misty McCullough
Hi, this is Seminole Police, if you could please respond to the Hard Rock, Room 607... it's gonna be referenced to a white female who is, um... she's not breathing and she's not responsive, she's, um.. actually Anna Nicole Smith. If you guys can please.... okay? Thank you.
Why is Anna Nicole Smith’s death such a topic covered by the media twenty-four seven? Why is her death more important then all the men and women that have died overseas?
Anna Nicole Smith gave birth to her daughter on September 5 and just five days later her son died. She started as a spot light for the media since March 1992 when Hugh Hefner chose her to appear on the cover of his playboy magazine. Since 1992 she has always been in the spotlight. Her spotlight ranged from modeling for guess jeans, posing for playboy, multiple marriages and court battles.
Anna Nicole Smith has always caught the eye of media and the public. However she caught the media’s eye once again when her baby girl was born and then when her son died. The media was all over what caused her sons death. Then there is the battle with who the father of her baby is. The media has always been in her personal life since 1992.
Unfortunately on February 8, 2007 she collapsed in her hotel room in Florida. She was pronounced dead at 2:40pm. USA Today said, “Cable news outlets aired wall-to-wall coverage after Smith was found in her Florida hotel room. By Friday, ABC News was trumpeting its exclusive interview with Smith's estranged mother, Virgie Arthur, on Good Morning America and a special edition of 20/20 that night. Another exclusive interview was planned for Good Morning America.”
Newspapers are using her death as top stories for days in a row. The sad part is, is that the media has made this story their top priority; but there are no facts to be given. All the information they have given is just a speculation. USA Today says that the media is make speculations about the babies’ father, possible outcomes from her legal battle that involves millions of dollars from her late husband, J. Howard Marshall II. It is sad how the media can feed off of her life, but there are no facts in any story.
We Americans are living in a horrible time of war. Many soldiers are dying in Iraq on a day to day basis. How involved does the media get into a soldiers life? The media places maybe one or two news stories or newspaper articles and that is it. Then the media moves onto the next topic. It seems like hundreds of soldiers lives are being taken but the media is used to it. It isn’t worth covering. Anna Nicole Smith who was known for her fame passes away and there is no telling when the media will end their top story.
It is horrible when any person loses their life, but when will the media stop? Does being famous make you more important then other people in the world? The media was there when the twin towers were struck, when Saddam was executed and every other disaster that the world has faced. Covering disasters is crucial to inform society what is going on around them. The major stories that affect people’s day to day life should be top stories in the media.
Why is the gossip of Anna Nicole Smith so appealing and why does the media feel they must cover it twenty-four seven? Robert Lichter, a journalism professor from George Mason University said, “The media can't resist when something serious happens to someone frivolous. She had everything the media look for in a story: money, sex and dieting. Her death is so irresistible because it lets people mourn and gloat at the same time."
Is that truly the difference between Anna Nicole Smith and the hundreds of soldiers who are fight in Iraq? Wives and husbands lose their partner daily when they are wounded overseas and many children lose their mother and father everyday. It is terrible, but the media is so used to soldiers dying that it isn’t even worth printing. Anna Nicole Smith was well known for the spotlight and because she possessed all the qualities that society likes to read about her death gets front page for who knows how long. Soldiers who fight for what is right and they are the ones that are doing something wonderful do not get the same as Anna Nicole Smith. Soldiers need to be recognized more then someone famous whether it is a death or something to have glory over.
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