Don't Believe Everything You Read

[wlotus]

The media loves to stir up drama where there is none. Case in point...

Screaming Headline: Michael Jackson memorial cost L.A. $1.4 million

Quiet Details: "Los Angeles officials say Tuesday's memorial service for Michael Jackson cost the city $1.4 million to cover security, traffic control, and other services, according to the Associated Press. The figure includes $1.1 million in overtime pay for the 4,173 police officers securing the Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery, and other areas that attracted fans and media, the Police Department said in a statement."

Let's get this straight, people: the Jackson family paid for Michael Jackson's memorial service, like any family does for their loved one. The city of L.A. paid for the police presence, etc., based on what THE CITY felt it would need for crowd control. Furthermore, any city does this when a celebrity who generally draws crowds comes to town. If Mother Theresa's funeral had been held in L.A., there would have been a significant cost for crowd control. When Aaliyah's funeral was held in NYC there was an increased police presence--those police barricades keeping fans back from the church did not appear on their own, nor did they stay up of their own volition--at the very least to escort her coffin in the horse-drawn carriage. But of course, the media is not saying that. Instead, the media is twisting things to make it sound as though L.A. paid for the memorial service of the media's favorite whipping boy...who, by the way, is not around any longer to defend himself. And I am sure his family has much better things to do (like comfort one another during this grieving period and look after his kids) than to waste time defending themselves against the media spin machine.

In short, don't believe the hype!

Comments

[verucas-chaos.livejournal.com]

You know I saw EW chasing down the boys who alleged the molestation. The boys had their heads covered and were running away from the cameras. While I won't make light of anyone who has been molested by an adult, my thought was that the media was doing the same thing that Michael was accused of doing. IN short, what the media wanted was MORE hype. Ugh.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

The national media is only concerned about selling papers/magazines and getting viewers. They don't care if they have to twist reality a bit in order to make that happen, no matter who is hurt by it. They make me sick.

[arkadelos.livejournal.com]

It is like what happened to the grandparents of Caylee Anthony. There is no more respect or dignity for the individual. People's emotions and personal lives have become commercialized. I was relieved when Caylee's body was finally found so that her grandparents could be left alone to cope.

[denimpeanut.livejournal.com]

I didn't perceive the article to be saying that the memorial service itself was paid for by the city.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

The article was clear the city only paid for the police presence and traffic control. But the headline implies the memorial cost the city all of that money. Furthermore, there is a meme going around Facebook which asks if L.A. should have footed the bill for the memorial, or if the Jackson family ought to pay for it. No doubt, headlines such as that one have led people to believe the city paid for Jackson's memorial.