My (racist) local news station is also homophobic and fascistic:

[AP]

In its continuing attempt to create issues which help Republicans win my Democratic-leaning state in November, they report on the news in a way to promote conservative views of the world. Last week it was by contrasting unruly black kids to aggressive dogs which had to be put down.

Last night they reported on the "spree" of same sex marriages in San Francisco city hall, and said that, despite a court challenge, ther was another "wave" yesterday.

Hmmm. Now where have I heard these words before? Oh yes, "crime spree" and "crime wave."

Now lets see if this post results in 200 responses telling my I'm oversensitive.

[Spentastic]

1. Well here's one

Heat wave

shopping spree

The horror

[Stupdworld]

4. 2

here's another:

you are oversensitive

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. I am a firm believer deliberate, planned choice of words DOES happen

in order to poison debate. In other words: yes, I agree with you.

[DK666]

3. LOL good one...

EOM

[pnb]

5. A third one

You are oversensitive. There are enough real problems in the world without having to look for them where they don't exist (or if they do, it is completely coincidental because your proof here, like the other day, is your vague suppositions and nothing more).

[meegbear]

6. You're not oversensitive

Using "spree" and "wave" in regards to people is usually in a negative context.

Good call.

[waylon]

7. I think ratings are in play

Probably steams other folks as it does you.... tune in tomorrow for more...?

[AP]

8. I really don't think other people notice. I think they absorb these labels

unconsciously.

It wasn't just these two words. They also had clip of Bush where he talked about "watching" what was going on in the same tone and manner you'd think he'd watch what's going on in Tehran.

The overall tone was that something DANGEROUS to society was happening in SF.

It was very subtle. But think of the alternatives.

They could be talking about the tourist boom, or all the money the marriage licenses are bringing into the coffers. They could have funny stories and profiles of people getting married.

Nope. It's a "spree" and a "wave" and Bush is keeping a watchful eye over it.

[rumguy]

9. I agree that word choice and tone mean a lot

It can very subtle yet still have an impact.

[AP]

10. I don't understand why so many people feel the need to deny that happens.

[AP]

11. So far it's about a tie. 3-3 among those taking a postion.

We're doing a little better acknowledgin homophobia/pro-conservative tilts to media then we did acknowledging racist/pro-conservative tilts in the media.

If I hadn't mentioned the earlier post on race, I bet I'd be doing even better.

[BiggJawn]

13. Tie-breaker here.

They know EXACTLY the impact of the words they're using. that's why they go to school, to learn how to write effectively (if they pay any attention to the professor)
And I'd bet the GOP has a stylebook available, too.

[AP]

14. Relief. A majority is willing to admit to what's right in front of their

eyes.

Thanks.

[KamaAina]

12. What station is this?

I'm interested to know if other stations in the same ownership group, in other markets, are doing the same thing.

[AP]

15. kick

[LoZoccolo]

16. OK what words would you have used?

Quick...quick...we're on the air soon!

[AP]

18. I alread said above how a LIBERAL station would have covered this:

they would have talked about the money it's bringing in to the city coffers. And I would have talked about the tourism dollars.

"Spree" and "wave" would have NEVER come up. Or you would have used positive words implying the MORE the BETTER. In fact, I would have used that phrase: "the more the "Marry-er" KA-CHING!

Why? Because people are anxious about public services and want to know where the money coming from. Because people care more about money than about who's having sex. Because people care more about their jobs and their own and their city's solvency then they care about the gender of people who love each other.

That's what a LIBERAL would have done.

How would you have presented the story?

[LoZoccolo]

20. You didn't answer my question.

Obviously somewhere in the story you would have to report that there were a bunch of people showing up for gay marraiges one day and a bunch of people showing up for the next; otherwise the stories about the tourism dollars and what not would make no sense and you wouldn't really be covering the news.

(Other people see this dodging of the issue.)

So answer the question. If you didn't use the word "spree" or "wave", which would you use? I'll give you a form to fill out to make it really easy to answer the question.

spree: _____
wave: _____

(You may use the same word in both blanks, though a journalist would probably give the wording some variety.)

[ShaneGR]

24. ????

I'm confused. How about just saying how many people showed up each day?

[LoZoccolo]

26. Good idea, if you have it.

Even then, people nitpick about numbers. It's like when they used whatever technique to estimate the number of people at the Million Man March and it wasn't a million and got accused of trying to diminish some historic event with a false number (I don't recall any evidence supporting claims to the contrary though or this being based on any examination of the data) and now whatever agency used to do the estimates just doesn't do them anymore.

Anyways, if I think the argument is silly maybe I shouldn't take it this far because I'm wasting my time too. There are much bigger problems with discrimination out there with much greater consequences and much much more tangible evidence, but I reckon they can't be examined with the ease of sitting on a couch watching the news, nor can they put one's powers of "keen observation" and "sensitivity" on display.

[ShaneGR]

33. I still don't get it

Look, you're giving him a hard time because you have some weird thought in your mind about a perceived over-reaction. Other people see it and say, "Hey, that's the same kind of BS they pull on my local news."

And using words like Spree can easilly be replaced with a number of people (Like they used in my area).

[AP]

27. Yes I did: lots of people $howing up. KA-CHING!!!! Touri$m and

regi$tration fee$. City coffer$ filling up. $mall bui$ne$$e$ making money.

I'd interview a few of the hotel worker$ and $hop owner$ in the neighborhood.

Get the picture?

[ShaneGR]

34. I was talking to him AP

Not you... lost track of what the heck was going on.

[LoZoccolo]

21. Oh I forgot to answer yours.

I would have used the words "spree" and "wave", or probably some other words that would denote that people were in a hurry to get it done and it was a recurrent event within two days. It wouldn't matter to me because I'd take it there would probably be at most one person nit-picking the news for PC trophys, I'd probably never be able to satisfy that one person, and they probably don't have enough credibility to make a credible case against me. Plus it's not even a problem and most people understand that.

[AP]

28. People aren't in a hurry to get it doen. People are $avoring the moment.

[Ksec]

17. Anyone see the ex baseball player that battled local media

that was being pushed by some big shot in a different city. I forget his name.. Anyway local media is no different than national. They are owned- therefore they are prone to influence from the bosses.

[AP]

19. I picked up on the "criminalizing" tone to my local station's coverage of

this story two days ago.

Yesterday I heard one of the national stations describe people who are getting married in SF as "knowingly breaking the law."

Uh, they're going to the city government to get married. I think they probably feel like they're following the law.

I think it's very clear that the media has taken an angle on this story that is equating people getting married with murderers, robbers and rapists -- they're law breakers.

Keep you eyes open for this spin, and fight this perception every chance you get.

[Terran]

22. I don't think "spree" and "wave" are inherently negative

And I think that the "rash" (!) of gay weddings in SF is sufficiently unusual to warrant use of those words. "Spree" is mostly positive, to me.

But no, you're not being oversentive. It pays to be attuned to things like that. Keep being sensitive.

Dirk

[AP]

23. The "law breaker theme" has dominated the tone of the coverage on

national and local news.

I think "spree" and "wave" were very calculated descriptive terms.

[diamond14]

25. Scott McClellan just used the 'lawbreaker' theme...along with

the 'this is a principled stand by the pResident'

so the reporters shot back...'will the pResdent BRING IN THE NATIONAL GUARD, like in Little Rock? to control these 'lawbreakers'?'

and Scott CHOKED...probably because there are no more National Guard troops left to bring in, since the shrub sent them all to be KILLED in Iraq....

[AP]

29. That is so funny. I wonder if those reporters got a heads up from my post

here on DU for a clue about how to treat the 'law breaker' meme.

Nah. They wouldn't have to. It's too obvious (well, at least to people who aren't in denial).

[AP]

31. By the way people. TAKE NOTE:

Local news has been peppering its coverage for two days with this theme. Day three, McClellan exploits it.

Now, do you really believe he was RESPONDING to the tone that the news ESTABLISHED? Or do you think Bush let the news know what kind of theme he was trying establish and the news gave him a couple days of them creating that mood FOR Bush?

This is too obvious.

And what's up with the deniers?

And I think McClellan proved that my reading of the news was EXACTLY right, which butresses my credibility on the other story with the school bus vs. agressive dogs contrast.

[AlinPA]

30. KDKA in Pittsburgh?

[AP]

32. I'm sure they're doing it everywhere, but I didn't see it on KDKA.

[boobooday]

35. Words are important

Why not just report the numbers????

It is a news station -- they could just say, x number were granted licenses today . . . That seems more accurate and journalistic.

Words do have connotations. Spree nearly always connotes some kind of irresponsibility -- even a "shopping spree." A wave of something implies that it is a "force" of some kind.

It's called framing -- and the people at Faux are careful to apply their particular frame with every breath they take.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[atre]

36. Where are you? In NC?

If so, which station are you talking about?

I like all of the news stations in this area, with the exception of the one that keeps showing "The Point" opinion pieces by that prick Mark Heyman.