Brett Kavanaugh’s name has dominated headlines across the nation, leaving the general public wondering if anything else newsworthy is happening.
As a journalism student, even I found myself struggling to find other stories during the confirmation hearings, despite subscribing to a variety of news platforms.
While I believe his confirmation was incredibly important, it wasn’t the only thing going on in the world.
In the midst of Kavanaugh madness, The New York Times released a lengthy report Oct. 2 on President Donald Trump’s tax history, revealing his participation “in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents.”
Even though it was a historic Times investigation, I heard nothing from other news outlets on the topic. The conversation was centered too heavily on the Senate hearings.
That same day, The Wall Street Journal reported Trump had instructed attorney Michael Cohen in February “to seek a restraining order” against adult-film actress Stormy Daniels — whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Trump reportedly said he would pay all legal costs involved.
Olivia Heersink | Argonaut
I found out about this story by happenchance, and I would’ve never known about if a peer, who is also a journalism student, hadn’t told me. Like me, she also stumbled upon it, finding out days after the story’s publication because it was buried in the Kavanaugh news.
And now, the same is happening with the resignation of Nikki Haley, the ambassador to the United Nations whose tenure ends at the beginning of the new year.
The story is newsworthy, but again, not the only thing happening. This can be seen in the devastation in Indonesia following a tsunami or Hurricane Michael, which has hit the Florida Panhandle with 155 m.p.h. winds — the worst storm in a decade.
Audiences often only read the headlines, and if they see the same thing over and over, they will be less inclined to continue utilizing news sources because of the lack of other pressing information. If they already think they know the story, why bother reading the next seven versions with only minor updates?
Reading the news and keeping up with current events is a part of my curriculum. But, most people aren’t obligated to stay informed — although, they should.
Consumers must make sure they aren’t just reading the top stories saturating the page or broadcast. They have to dig deeper and find the less apparent — but still important — news, subscribing to a variety of media outlets for well-rounded information.
However, the responsibility doesn’t just lie with audiences, but news producers and writers who need to make sure they aren’t overly stacking the deck with one story or several iterations of it.
Journalists have a responsibility to the inform the public on world happenings, which isn’t possible if they are only showcasing a sole issue — no matter its weighted importance. Update a story when necessary, but don’t let it dominate the conversation or saturate the public sphere.
Olivia Heersink can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @heersinkolivia