I would like to share an observation that my coworkers and I made last July regarding the news media and their coverage of the FAA furlough. On July 23, 2011 there were 4,000 FAA employees who were furloughed indefinitely because Congress could not get their act together and sign the necessary authorization. This lapse impacted many of the contractors throughout the country that support numerous programs that are funded by the FAA. In addition, millions of tax dollars were lost each day this situation continued.
My company is one of those affected which is why we were paying close attention to what was happening in Washington. We relied on The Hill website for information in the weeks leading up to the furlough and continuing until it was finally resolved two weeks later.
What we found completely frustrating was the lack of media coverage by the major networks for the first week of the furlough. On day one of the furlough I saw a brief reference to it on the local ABC news station and it was not one of the top stories. Then on Monday my coworkers and I had expected to see the story on the Today Show or Good Morning America but they did not carry the story for nearly a week. Every day we tuned in and were disgusted by the over the top coverage that the celebrity guests were receiving but there was little or no mention of the 4,000 people who were sent home without pay. It took nearly a week before these shows began to carry the story as one of the top stories. I quickly realized that even with the news shows they care more about ratings than just reporting the news.
Submitted by Judith McCormack
Submitted by Judith McCormack
YouTube video link to the story as reported by PBS:
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