Media Coverage of the Conspiracy Trial

[BettyO]

OMG Jim, News Reporters sound more than a bit like anchor, Ted Baxter on the old Mary Tyler Moore show!

[My Name Is Kate]

(12-30-2012 12:29 PM)Rob Wick Wrote:  ...news executives (who are far and away politically conservative as opposed to those in the newsroom)...

I'm not trying to get this thread sidetracked from the main topic, but I'm interested in hearing more info on the above statement. It actually is what I was beginning to suspect, based on some things I've been reading and watching online lately. Why would conservative executives consent to hire liberal journalists?

[MaddieM]

(12-30-2012 07:10 AM)BettyO Wrote:  

Quote:Speaking of ladies attending the trial, Cary Delery of the Historical Shop had an original trial pass signed by Hunter. It was made out to, "Mr. McConnell and five ladies". He theorized they were there to show support for Mrs. Surratt. I think they were there for Lewis Powell.

I have to agree, Jim. A LOT of ladies, Clover Adams amongst them, visited the court room and were very anxious to get a look at the conspirators; particularly Powell. According to the memoirs of Clover Adams, she too went to see the conspirators and described how Powell was the most handsome man in the room and that Herold was a "pretty little man"..... sounds to me like each of the conspirators had their own bunch of groupies.

Seriously, though....do you think that the prisoners, as described in the papers were meant to sell more papers via sensationalism? I do. I also see it as a means of garnering interest in the trial and much to General Hunter's and Hartranft's probable headaches, a clamoring for passes to get into the courtroom to watch the proceedings -

Certainly, Clover Adams describes it as exciting entertainment for a rainy day and even spoke to the guards to get "inside" information on how the prisoners reacted from everything concerning the trial to the few "gifts" that they received from anxious ladies in the courtroom viewing the trial.

the thing is though, how much of this and other reports are accurate? They seem to be coloured by whoever wrote them, and their own perceptions and prejudices. The power of the press is immense, and can whip up hatred or compassion at a whim.

[BettyO]

You are absolutely correct, Maddie -

I would like to also know what was correct and what was fabricated in order to simply create sensation and sell papers. I suspect that a lot of went on were like that. However I do have statements from folk in their memoirs and diaries (Clover Adams is one) whose declarations match those found in some of the newspapers - so I do feel that a lot of what was reported must have had more than a ring of truth to it.

[Rob Wick]

Quote:Why would conservative executives consent to hire liberal journalists?

Why not? In saying what I did about the differences between executives and the rank-and-file reporters there are always exceptions. But your question assumes something I didn't say. Just because one holds a liberal viewpoint doesn't mean it's impossible for a reporter to present as balanced a story as is humanly possible. Most news executives started on the advertising or business side, which tends to attract more conservative people while most reporters, due to their educational background and career experiences, tend to tilt left of center. Most of the obvious bias in news reporting comes, actually, from the conservative side, which is far outside the scope of this thread and discussion.

Best
Rob

[My Name Is Kate]

Maybe I did assume a little bit, but I think maybe you did too. I did not say that it was impossible for a journalist with a liberal outlook to present a balanced news story, and I was not even thinking of that when I asked the question.

I'm beginning to think that "conservative" and "liberal" are almost meaningless terms anymore. Maybe they always were. I'm not sure what they are supposed to mean, and I do not know if I'm a liberal or a conservative, but I kind of doubt that I am either one. To me, news reporting, politics (and most things in life) should be simple: There is right and wrong. It's usually pretty easy to know which is which if you can just leave your own ego out of the equation as much as possible. Maybe that sounds so simple that it is laughable, but then, politics is pretty laughable.