The media and the man with the “golden voice”

[Hannah Bell]

Over the past week the US media, and in particular the cable news networks, have exploited the story of Ted Williams for the most reactionary and self-serving purposes...

According to the Huffington Post, both NBC and CBS were so anxious to gain exclusive rights to shoot the Williams’ family reunion that they engaged in subterfuge, ultimately preventing Ted and his mother from contacting each other until they were able to work out a deal allowing both networks to sensationalize the event.

CBS claims that on Wednesday night it brought Ted’s mother to a New York City airport to meet her son, who was flown there by NBC. According to CBS, NBC then whisked Ted off the plane before he could see her so as not to have to share the moment with its rival.

NBC claims it had no knowledge Julia Williams was waiting at the airport. The two companies then spent the better part of the next day negotiating over the filming rights to the reunion.

Describing the CBS-NBC rivalry over Williams as a “fierce war,” the Huffington Post reports that mutual recriminations are now flying back and forth between the networks, with each claiming their actions were driven by the most noble motives. Both outlets could care less about the emotional or psychological needs of the Williams family.

The giant corporations fawning over “the man with the golden voice” are manifestly indifferent to the extraordinary social suffering in the United States today and the country’s growing homeless population.

Pat McManamon of the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out that Williams’ interviewers on NBC’s “Today Show,” Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira, respectively make $13 million and $10 million a year. “Imagine how many homeless Lauer and Vieira have passed on their way to work and not given a second glance to,” he noted. The same could be said about the entire legion of major producers and executives who stand behind them.

The attention being given to Williams by the Cleveland Cavaliers is also notable. The owner of the basketball team, which plays in Quicken Loans Arena in Ohio, is the CEO of this large lending institution. As David Sirota of the Huffington Post pointed out, “Quicken Loans has been one of the major banks throwing people out of their homes during the foreclosure crisis.” The corporation, which has posted record profits in its mortgage division since 2009, is directly responsible for the swelling of the ranks of America’s homeless...

In 2007, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimated that 3.5 million people experience homelessness annually in the United States.

More recently, in a reflection of the impact of the economic crisis and widespread home foreclosures, the U.S. Conference of Mayors reported that the number of homeless families across 26 major cities had increased by 9 percent during 2010.

In early January, the web site Diverseeducation.com noted an increase in the population of homeless college students, as unemployed workers returning to school and cash-strapped families struggle to pay for courses that might give a chance at a future job, even though they are unable to afford housing.

The story of Ted Williams story is an exception because the media giants believe they can profit from showering attention on this talented individual, who they will exploit to win favor from the viewing public. The fact that Williams is a religious man and attributes his recent good fortune to god’s will makes him an even more attractive candidate for the cable news networks’ “human interest” story. Had Williams even mentioned the lack of government aid for the homeless or the jobless, he would have been quickly passed over.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/jan2011/voic-j08.shtml

[Teaser]

1. It's hard

I mean, I'm happy this dude isn't homeless any more. I hope he can keep it together.
But the frenzy over him is really all part of maintaining a mythology about what it takes to "succeed" in America.

[Hannah Bell]

2. yep, one of the peons is hauled into the spotlight while ten others sink into the mire.

and the system continues to produce homelessness and misery like a factory.

better him than bristol palin, however, who was also recently offered a radio job -- with much less qualification.

i heard people griping because this guy had taken drugs for 20 years & he's taking a job from some other candidate who'd worked hard & stayed on the straight & narrow.

but this guy at least had radio experience & a voice.

bristol palin? does she even have a high school diploma?

her only qualifications are being an unwed mother, the daughter of someone famous & an appearance on dancing with the stars.

[pinboy3niner]

4. Bristol's only qualification is "celebrity"

They'd probably have been much happier if they could sign Snooki.

The station said Bristol's show won't be on politics. Yeah, right. They'd love for her to occasionally say something controversial, for the attention, the ratings--and the money.

Scarborough mocked Williams and the story, saying he'd go out and look "in abandoned vans" to find a new political producer for his show. He also mocked Mika for wanting to leave Williams "under a bridge." But at least Mika was expressing actual concern for the man, and the negative things all the sudden attention could bring. Williams himself said in one interview that he felt like taking something to calm his anxiety over all the fuss, but as an addict, he knew that wouldn't be a good thing to do.

The network competition on the story is interesting, but that probably has more to do with competition between our news "personalities" and their producers than with decisions in corporate boardrooms. The religion angle may appeal to corporatists, but I doubt that the story needs that to drive it. In fact, if Williams had criticized the inadequacy of government response to addressing homelessness, I wonder if that might not have given the story more 'legs,' a reason to put on air advocates for the homeless and representatives of the executive and legislative branches.

I had a great high school journalism teacher who left news reporting over ethical concerns. He told of being assigned to cover a death, and having to interview the bereaved family--who declined to provide a photo of the victim. My teacher said that he was expected by his superiors to ask for a drink or something to allow him to be alone in the room so he could steal a photo of the victim. Anything for the story...

[Stardust]

3. K&R

[KharmaTrain]

5. The True 8th Day Wonder...

While it was somewhat entertaining when this story first came out, the hypocrisies in this story are a major turn-off. Just cause he has a voice does not make a "radio personality"...especially these days when most voices are "out sourced". Over the past decade thousands have lost jobs in radio as corporate greed turned the industry into a gambling casino that went bust. On the day President Obama was inaugurated over 1200 people lost their jobs on that day alone. Who knows how many of them have found new jobs or are like Ted...homeless. Unfortunately there aren't any news crews around looking for a "sympathy story".

While I wish Mr. Williams well and hope this opportunity does change his life for the positive, the insincerity of the corporate media in falling all over themselves to exploit him and his story are sickening. Sorry, no tugging at the heartstrings here when I know of too many hard working people in radio who lost their jobs due to corporate greed and mismanagement. As soon as this story wears out its shelf life, Ted will be cast aside again...whatever gigs and attention he gets will be short-lived to make the corporates look good. I'll bet a bright shiny dime he'll be back on the streets...with many, many more...in a year's time.

[pinboy3niner]

6. I hope you're wrong about Williams' future

But on the positive side, I think that any story that calls attention to the homeless, and to the positive qualities of one of their number, is a good thing if it causes people to think twice about that homeless person they see on the street, and to wonder about who they were and what they did before finding themselves in this position.

Stories like this serve to humanize invisible, written-off people in our society. It's a small thing, but overall I think it's positive.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Tokenism At Best

I wish I could share the positive aspect of this but my lifelong bred cynicism of the corporate media says different. The plight of the homeless or the even larger number who are living with parents or other family or on the verge of being homeless is a major issue here. While it's worthy that someone like Ted is made visible to remind people of the homeless, that's not the angle here...it's the "rags to riches"...a fate that happened upon one poor soul but is not the reality to the millions who silently suffer from this depression. It's a diversion...as if by making one homeless go from pauper to prince this shows some benevolent side of this country...especially the corporates. It's a charade...and that's where I don't find this story either heartening or uplifting. I find it very hypocritical.

A positive would be a week-long expose of the abuses of the banks and lenders. There was a major ruling in Massetchussets yesterday that may keep people in their homes. Little media coverage at all. Let's get upclose and personal with those who wrote the bogus mortgages and speculated people's homes and lives and walked away with millions and billions in their pockets. My hope is Ted Williams can be a voice of the homeless and poorest among us...not the voice of NBC Nightly News.

Cheers...

[pinboy3niner]

8. I think we're on the same wavelength...

...though I tend to see the story as more positive than you do. Williams' story is a real contrast to the rags-to-riches stories of people like Snooki and 'The Situation.'

I absolutely agree that we need more exposure of the abuses and the abusers who are killing the middle class and driving ordinary, 'normal' people into poverty and destitution. You don't have to be seduced by drugs or alcohol to fall prey to predatory business practices that drive people out on the street.

[Raine]

9. Disgusting how the stench of money and ratings

corrupts and taints everything it touches. x(