Wikipedia

Media circus

Media circus is a colloquial metaphor, or idiom, describing a news event for which the level of media coverage—measured by such factors as the number of reporters at the scene and the amount of material broadcast or published—is perceived to be excessive or out of proportion to the event being covered. Coverage that is sensationalistic can add to the perception the event is the subject of a media circus. The term is meant to critique the coverage of the event by comparing it to the spectacle and pageantry of a circus. Usage of the term in this sense became common in the 1970s.[1][2] It can also be called a media feeding frenzy or just media frenzy, especially when the media coverage itself is covered.

News media satellite up-link trucks and photojournalists gathered outside the Prudential Financial headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, in August 2004 following the announcement of evidence of a terrorist threat to it and to buildings in New York City.

History

edit
 
Tonya Harding arriving at Portland International Airport after the 1994 Winter Olympics

Although the idea is older, the term media circus began to appear around the mid-1970s. An early example is from the 1976 book by author Lynn Haney, in which she writes about a romance in which then-world No. 1-ranked American tennis athlete Chris Evert was involved: "Their courtship, after all, had been a 'media circus.'"[3] A few years later The Washington Post had a similar courtship example in which it reported, "Princess Grace herself is still traumatized by the memory of her own media-circus wedding to Prince Rainier in 1956."[4]

Media circuses make up the central plot device in the 1951 movie Ace in the Hole about a self-interested reporter who, covering a mine disaster, allows a man to die trapped underground. It cynically examines the relationship between the media and the news they report. The movie was subsequently re-issued as The Big Carnival, with "carnival" referring to what we now call a "circus". In the film, the disaster attracts campers including a real circus. The movie was based on real-life Floyd Collins who in 1925 was trapped in a Kentucky cave drawing so much media attention that it became the third largest media event between the two World Wars (the other two being Lindbergh's solo flight and the Lindbergh kidnapping).[5]

Examples

edit

Events described as a media circus include:

Aruba

edit

Australia

edit

Brazil

edit

Canada

edit

Chile

edit

Colombia

edit

India

edit

Italy

edit

Japan

edit

Malaysia

edit

Peru

edit

Philippines

edit

Romania

edit

South Africa

edit

South Korea

edit

Spain

edit

Thailand

edit

Ukraine

edit

United Kingdom

edit

United States

edit
 
Cameras and reporters in front of the Strauss-Kahn apartment on May 26, 2011

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Gilmore case turning into a circus for media". Milwaukee Journal. December 3, 1976. The worldwide attention that condemned killer Gary Gilmore is receiving has turned his case into a media circus Utah residents are saying
  2. ^ Miller, Gene (December 8, 1976). "Only in America - the Gary Gilmore Circus has everything but dancing bears". The Evening Independent. There is most appallingly, an only-in-America spectacle wherein a quest for justice becomes an extravaganza for the fast buck. Come, come, come to the circus.
  3. ^ Lynn Haney (1976). Chris Evert, the Young Champion.
  4. ^ Washington Post B1, June 29, 1978. This is the oldest quote the Oxford English Dictionary has listed, although obviously there are older occurrences.
  5. ^ Brucker, R. and Murray, R. Trapped! the Story of Floyd Collins, University Press of Kentucky, 1983.
  6. ^ "The Twisted True-Crime Life of Joran van der Sloot". The Daily Beast. May 14, 2023.
  7. ^ "Vindication at Last for a Woman Scorned by Australia's News Outlets". The New York Times. November 16, 2014.
  8. ^ "Media circus comes digging for gold". Sydney Morning Herald. May 4, 2006. Archived from the original on July 20, 2006. Retrieved May 8, 2006.
  9. ^ "An Indian Boy and a Media Circus". July 8, 2012. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012.
  10. ^ "Schapelle Corby: Drug claims, media circus and the family saga that gripped a nation". ABC News. February 7, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  11. ^ Geraldine Nordfeldt. "Australia's Schapelle Corby phenomenon". Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  12. ^ "Brazil: Making a child murder into a media show · Global Voices". Global Voices. April 24, 2008. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  13. ^ Langton, James (March 11, 2007). "Circus comes to town for Conrad Black's trial". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  14. ^ "Rob Ford's crack admission creates media frenzy". CBC. November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  15. ^ "'Constant circus' around Rob Ford a distraction, councillors say". CBC. May 31, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  16. ^ "City hall tours relocated amid Ford media circus". CP24. November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  17. ^ WIRED Staff (April 1, 1994). "Paul and Karla Hit the Net". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  18. ^ "Omar Khadr: The case, the compensation and the media". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  19. ^ Jeffords, Shawn (September 28, 2015). "Death of three siblings in crash 'worst nightmare': Mom". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  20. ^ Goodfield, Kayla (February 9, 2021). "Convicted drunk driver Marco Muzzo granted full parole". CP24. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  21. ^ "Edward Lake, father of 3 children killed by drunk driver Marco Muzzo in 2015, dies". CBC News. June 21, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  22. ^ "City Honours Neville-Lake Fatal Collision With Quiet Area At Brampton Park". insauga.com. July 25, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  23. ^ The Christian Science Monitor (October 15, 2010). "As media circus wanes, Chile miners' families turn spotlight on reporters' antics". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  24. ^ "BBC News - World News America - The media circus around Chile's trapped miners". October 11, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  25. ^ Lacey Rose. "The 'Get' Game Gets Going at Chile Miner Media Circus". Forbes. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  26. ^ "El caso Colmenares y la fascinación de los medios y del público. ¿Qué tiene de especial? ¿Por qué el circo a su alrededor?". Caracol Radio (in Spanish). May 4, 2006.
  27. ^ "Sheena Bora murder: Cast and plot of a real-life soap opera". The Hindu.
  28. ^ Squires, Nick (September 23, 2011). "Amanda Knox compared to Goebbels by prosecutors". Telegraph (UK). Perugia. Retrieved September 27, 2011. "The trial must be held here, in this courtroom. This lobbying, this media and political circus, this heavy interference, forget all of it," the prosecutor said
  29. ^ Lim, Joyce (March 13, 2014). "Missing MH370: Day 6 and media circus in Malaysia shows few signs of relenting". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  30. ^ Italia, Rakshande (March 28, 2014). "Desi Dialogues: Media's coverage of missing Malaysia Airlines flight appalling". Inside Toronto. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  31. ^ "Peru police confirm Van der Sloot's murder confession". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  32. ^ Royeca, Jon (October 27, 2019). "A Sensational Murder In The Philippines in 1890". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  33. ^ a b c d Cabahug, Eric (October 11, 2020). "Pinoy murders: The worst true crimes in the Philippines". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  34. ^ a b de Guzman, Nicai (February 12, 2020). "The Most Shocking and High-Profile Unsolved Crimes in the Philippines". Esquire Philippines. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  35. ^ Dagle, Robbin (October 23, 2020). "Pinoy true crime stories that need the docu-series treatment". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  36. ^ Delizo, Michael Joe T. (February 13, 2016). "VACC founder Vizconde dies". Manilla Times. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  37. ^ "Rage, Riots, and Death: Looking Back at the Pepsi 349 Debacle". Esquire Magazine PH. January 17, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  38. ^ "'A plot hatched in hell': Timeline of the Gomez-Sarmenta murder case". ABS-CBN News. August 22, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  39. ^ Narag, Raymund (August 25, 2019). "Commentary: Media sensationalism, bureaucratic ineptitude, and the quest for justice for the common tao". Vera Files. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  40. ^ "Impending release of convicted rapist-murderer Sanchez sparks outrage". ABS-CBN News. August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  41. ^ "Lolit Solis on 1994 Manila Film Fest scam: 'It was a nightmare for me'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. November 20, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  42. ^ "No more media circus this time". The Manila Times. November 3, 2004. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  43. ^ Gabinete, Jojo (July 20, 2018). "Forensic expert, binalikan ang mga pangyayari sa Chiong rape-murder case noong 1997". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  44. ^ "Case Study: The Media and the Trial of Paco Larrañaga (Handout for the documentary "Give Up Tomorrow")" (PDF). PBS. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  45. ^ "Vhong Navarro recovering from brutal attack". Rappler. January 25, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  46. ^ "STIRI - Fenomenul "Elodia", dupa doi ani". December 4, 2013. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013.
  47. ^ MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY INDEX 2009, p. 89
  48. ^ "Raport de monitorizare" [Monitoring Report] (PDF). cna.ro (in Romanian). 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  49. ^ "Fenomenul "Elodia", după doi ani". adevarul.ro. August 19, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  50. ^ a b Taylor, Adam (March 1, 2014). "The Oscar Pistorius trial: Africa's O.J. Simpson?". Washington Post. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  51. ^ a b Hiscock, John (April 12, 2014). "Oscar Pistorius and the echoes of OJ Simpson". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  52. ^ Maslow, Nick (December 21, 2017). "Jonghyun's coffin carried by pop stars at funeral". Entertainment Weekly.
  53. ^ "'El caso Alcàsser' y la crítica al circo televisivo basado en el morbo del espectador" [The 'Alcàsser Case' and the criticism of the television circus based on viewer morbid fascination]. Formula TV (in Spanish). June 14, 2019.
  54. ^ "El 'Caso Alcàsser': Había una vez un circo" [The 'Alcàsser Case': Once Upon a Circus]. Valencia Plaza (in Spanish). November 13, 2017.
  55. ^ Antolín, Matías (September 18, 2008). "El linchamiento de Dolores" [The lynching of Dolores]. Diario de Burgos (in Spanish). Burgos, Spain. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  56. ^ Rodríguez, Mercedes (June 17, 2008). "'El Caso Wanninkhof', la historia de un linchamiento" ['The Wanninkhof Case', history of a lynching]. El Diario Montañés (in Spanish). Santander, Spain. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  57. ^ "El 'caso Marta del Castillo': ¿sólo información, morbo o "circo mediático"?" [The 'Marta del Castillo case': just information, morbid fascination or "media circus"?]. 20 Minutos (in Spanish). February 17, 2009.
  58. ^ Guillamón, Vicente Alejandro (July 8, 2013). "Caso Bretón: ¿juicio o circo mediático?" [Bretón case: Trial or media circus?]. Religión en Libertad.
  59. ^ "Caso Asunta: cuando el suceso se transforma en circo mediatico" [Asunta Case: when the event becomes a media circus]. Vozpopuli (in Spanish). October 11, 2019.
  60. ^ "El circo de los Quer y los medios sin escrúpulos" [The Quer circus and the unscrupulous media]. ABC Galicia (in Spanish). August 16, 2023.
  61. ^ "Un nuevo y triste circo mediático en Almería" [A new and sad media circus in Almería]. Málaga Hoy (in Spanish). March 14, 2018.
  62. ^ Wongcha-um, Panu (July 6, 2018). "Throng of volunteers gather to rescue Thai boys trapped in cave". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018.
  63. ^ "Media circus follows Melnychenko to Warsaw". Kyiv Post. October 28, 2004. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  64. ^ Sedova, Yana (December 11, 2005). "Melnychenko returns to Ukraine, testifies in secret to prosecutor". Kyiv Press Bureau. Vol. LXXIII, no. 50. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  65. ^ "Brightside Mentoring". www.brightknowledge.org.
  66. ^ "Master of media circus for Madeleine McCann". The Telegraph. April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  67. ^ Knapton, Sarah (March 22, 2009). "Jade Goody dies after cancer battle bringing media circus to end". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on March 25, 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  68. ^ Rodriguez, Linda (July 22, 2011). "No one outside of the media-political circus cares about the phone hacking scandal". Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  69. ^ "Why did Charlie Gard's court case become a media circus?". Independent.co.uk. July 24, 2017. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022.
  70. ^ Sykes, Tom (February 11, 2021). "Meghan Markle Told Her Dad It Was 'Devastating' to Face 'Media Circus' He Created". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  71. ^ "Meghan Markle's Mom Doria Ragland Slams Ex Thomas for Getting Involved in Media "Circus"". E! Online. December 8, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  72. ^ Dooley, Matthew (January 4, 2023). "Meghan and Harry blasted for 'Sussex circus' ahead of Duke media blitz". Express.co.uk. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  73. ^ "Kate Middleton Reveals She's Undergoing Chemotherapy". W Magazine. March 22, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  74. ^ McConnell, Virginia A.Fatal Fortune: the Death of Chicago's Millionaire Orphan, p. 62 Fatal Fortune: the Death of Chicago's Millionaire Orphan (books.google), Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005, ISBN 0-275-98473-7. p. 62
  75. ^ Notorious Murders Archived March 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine; CrimeLibrary.com; accessed August 2015
  76. ^ Bergreen, Laurence (1996). Capone: The Man and the Era. Simon and Schuster. pp. 365–366. ISBN 978-0684824475.
  77. ^ "FindLaw's United States Supreme Court case and opinions". Findlaw. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  78. ^ "Youths Ordered to Clean Up Rubbish Mess". Berkshire Eagle. Pittsfield, Massachusetts. November 29, 1965. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com. He (Obanhein) said he hoped their case would be an example to others who are careless about disposal of rubbish. 
  79. ^ Goldman, Kim; Robertson, Tatsha (September 22, 2015). Media Circus: A Look at Private Tragedy in the Public Eye. BenBella Books. ISBN 9781941631607.
  80. ^ Gelman, David; Greenberg, Peter S. (January 31, 1977). "Ringmaster at the circus". Newsweek. Vol. 89, no. 5. p. 77. ProQuest 214345558.
  81. ^ "How the rescue of Baby Jessica ushered in the era of rolling news". The National. October 14, 2017.
  82. ^ (Elizabeth Davis, The Daily Beacon, January 12, 1996).[1]
  83. ^ "Lewinsky Media Circus Now Commonplace". The Daily Beast. May 9, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  84. ^ "Exclusive: Monica Lewinsky on the Culture of Humiliation". Vanity Fair. May 28, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  85. ^ Betancourt, Bianca (August 25, 2021). "See the Cast of 'Impeachment: American Crime Story' vs. Their Real-Life Counterparts". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  86. ^ "Elian moves home to avoid media circus". The Guardian. April 25, 2000. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  87. ^ Legon, Jeordan (March 14, 2003). "Survey: 'Shark summer' bred fear, not facts". CNN. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  88. ^ Roeper, Richard (July 25, 2002). "Media always produce a summer feeding frenzy". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 11.
  89. ^ Miller, Suzanne (July 24, 2003). "Summer of the shark?". Spiker. Archived from the original on December 15, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  90. ^ "TV docuseries seems to suggest Scott Peterson didn't kill pregnant wife Laci". AP News. August 14, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  91. ^ Newsweek, "Martha's Fall," March 15, 2005 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 22, 2005. Retrieved January 1, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  92. ^ Kurtz, Howard (May 8, 2005). "It's to Laugh (or Cry) About: Tragedy or Farce?". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017. (page B01)
  93. ^ "Lifetime's 'Untouchable' throws the book at Drew Peterson". Chicago Tribune. January 16, 2012.
  94. ^ Hinckley, David (January 23, 2010). "Lifetime's 'Pregnancy Pact' treats surge in teen pregnancy with kid gloves". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 26, 2010. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  95. ^ "Casey Anthony trial turned into media frenzy - Yahoo! News". Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  96. ^ "Casey Anthony Trial Media Frenzy Explained". digtriad.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  97. ^ "Casey Anthony trial turned into media frenzy". Reuters. July 6, 2011.
  98. ^ "Casey Anthony trial: Media frenzy at new heights". CBS News.
  99. ^ "Trayvon Martin shooting: Debate over photos escalates". Yahoo! News.
  100. ^ "Jodi Arias Trial: An Over-The-Top Media-Spectacle". Huffington Post. May 22, 2013.
  101. ^ "Jodi Arias Trial: Jurors weigh murder charge amid "real-life soap opera" spectacle". CBS News. May 6, 2013.
  102. ^ "Jodi Arias trial attracts watchers from across the nation". Foz News. February 5, 2013. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013.
  103. ^ "In Arias trial, TV cameras never far behind". Yahoo! News. May 22, 2013.
  104. ^ "Is the Jodi Arias Trial the Craziest in America?". Inside Edition. April 11, 2013.
  105. ^ Ruelas, Richard (May 12, 2013). "Amid many trials, a frenzy over Jodi Arias". USA Today.
  106. ^ Dzirutwe, MacDonald (July 30, 2015). "'What lion?' Zimbabweans ask, amid global Cecil circus". Reuters. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  107. ^ Heaney, Michael T. "Analysis | The George Floyd protests generated more media coverage than any protest in 50 years". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  108. ^ "Wyoming coroner says Gabby Petito's case became a 'media circus' and said others 'involved in domestic violence' should get the same attention". Insider.com.
  109. ^ Média, Bell. "Will Smith smacks Chris Rock on stage, then wins best actor Oscar". www.iheartradio.ca. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  110. ^ "The Oscars are more about celebrity than cinema - and that's fine". inews.co.uk. March 28, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  111. ^ Benchetrit, Jenna (April 24, 2022). "Johnny Depp, Amber Heard libel trial is nothing short of a media circus". CBC News. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  112. ^ "Police: 2 other roommates were home during fatal stabbing of 4 U of Idaho students". TODAY. November 17, 2022. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  113. ^ "Stakeouts, a Missing Scarf, and a Dying Dog: Inside the George Santos Media Circus". Vanity Fair. January 19, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  114. ^ Tully-Mcmanus, Katherine (January 18, 2023). "Won't you be my neighbor, George Santos?". POLITICO. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  115. ^ Oritz, Erik (January 22, 2023). "Lights, camera, trial: All eyes on Alex Murdaugh as a small South Carolina city prepares for a 'circus'". NBC News. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  116. ^ "Blair County DA: Apprehension of suspect in shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO brings unprecedented attention". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Media_circus&oldid=1262839350"