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Ares 1-X: Media coverage review
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When possibly history-making events take place, it is crucial to review how the media covers these events. NASA launched the experimental Ares 1-X from its Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Different media outlets covered it in different ways, some did not cover the event at all and a sad fact in these times is that science is no longer considered ‘news-worthy.’ Below is how FOX News and CNN covered the launch of the Ares 1-X.
FOX News is often derided for having a slant, however, in the case of this launch; the reporters covering the launch did not miss the point of this flight’s importance. FOX News covered the launch as most media outlets did, with a live feed from NASA. After a couple minutes of flight reporters John Scott and Jane Skinner exclaimed, “Wow.” and “Don’t see that every day do you?” Later when discussing the launch with former astronaut Paul Lockhart Scott said, “…to us that looked like a flawless launch…” The title FOX News used to cover the story was, “Ares 1-X Rocket Launch a Soaring Success.”
CNN on the other hand spent a majority of its reporting focusing on every negative aspect it could. CNN focused on issues that led to yesterday’s scrub, the upcoming gap between shuttle and Orion, funding issues and other concerns. The article’s title was also inaccurate and misleading. Proclaiming, “After many delays, NASA launches rocket” – most readers would assume that this launch has been oft-delayed and behind schedule. The original launch date for Ares 1-X? October 31st. Yes, you read correctly, NASA actually moved up the launch date of Ares 1-X. The delays CNN was yammering about? They took place yesterday – the launch slipped a single day, but to hear CNN tell it this launch has been scrubbed numerous times.
About half of the piece written by Kim Segal and John Zarrella doesn’t even deal with the launch at all. CNN has axed its science, tech and space sections and fired Miles O’Brien, one of the nation’s premier reporters on the space program. The impact of this poor decision is glaring when one reads this article. So while science and space have been cut, the media outlet has made sure to keep in place its sports and entertainment sections. After all, where would we be without knowing what Kim Kardashian was up to?
Fortunately, O'Brien ended up, (among other things) working for what could be dubbed the "Dream Team" of space journalism - Spaceflight Now.com. Among the personalities that cover shuttle launches with him are David Waters and former shuttle astronaut Leroy Chiao. Also on this team are Craig Covault formerly of Aviation Weekly and Mark Carreau formerly of the Houston Chronicle, (notice a pattern?). Space and science apparently are no longer news worthy anymore.
In Journalism 101 you are taught that news garners interest through assorted types of stories, Local, Tragedy, Unusual and so on. Staying with the tried and true negative spin approach to this story is simply wrong. Go back to the story types and pull out “unusual.” It is “unusual” for NASA, which has been stuck in low-earth-orbit for 37 years, to begin the painful process of returning its astronauts to the business of exploration. It is “unusual” to see this space agency move launch dates ahead instead of backward. And, sadly, it is “unusual” for media outlets to focus on the obvious positive aspects of science and space matters.
Some may ask, “Well what about MSNBC?” A review of them would have been in order, had they not simply cut and pasted a story from SPACE.com’s Clara Moskowitz with images from the Associated Press. As bad as the obvious slant that CNN has placed on this story is, at least they covered it and did not phone it in. This seems to be more and more the norm however, the media will cover Angelina Jolie - but not Ares 1-X.
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