Editor,
Last Wednesday Hurricane Michael came ashore with winds of 155 miles per hour, just 2 mph short of a category 5, and accompanied by a huge tidal surge. The devastation was catastrophic along the Florida panhandle. Naturally that was the lead story on the television news around the world that day, but surprisingly the next day reports of the rescue and recovery searches had been shoved aside, so world’s news consumers could concentrate on the visit to the Oval Office of a rapper named Kanye West.
That quite amazed me, but by Friday my stupefaction increased as the hurricane’s destruction was pushed further down the newscast. This was to accommodate an event at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England, where the great and the good of the entertainment-industrial complex gathered in a stiff breeze to witness the wedding of minor member of Britain’s Royal family. The bride has never performed any duties on behalf of the Crown, but was born with the title of “Princess”. She is ninth in line to England’s Throne, with a snowball’s chance of ever taking over regal duties from her Granny. Yet her nuptials were headline news around the globe, presumably because television news directors and programme editors figure that those not born with silver spoons in their mouths are somehow remotely interested in those who are born with that affliction.
There may be a few maniacal monarchists among us, but most television news consumers would probably believe that there are far more interesting things to watch. Except, of course, if the eight persons who are above the bride in succession to the throne, were all inconveniently poisoned during the wedding reception; now that would be really newsworthy to my jaundiced eye. After all, European history of royal families, popes and other hierarchy is littered with bodies who have succumbed to similar diabolical plots.
Only about 50 years ago there was a news anchor who was known as the “Most Trusted Man In America”; the entertainment-industrial complex didn’t rule the day when Walter Cronkite ruled the airwaves. Poor Walter must be rolling in his grave to see what passes for television news these days.
Bernie Smith
Parksville, BC