I noticed the Aaron Hernandez trial isn’t getting a lot of attention on the national news cycle. It is definitely mentioned, but there’s no rabid fervor for it. This is particularly disturbing because it is exactly the type of story the national media loves to cover – it involves a bloody and salacious murder committed by a famous person. A person who was actively a member of a championship contending team of the country’s most popular sport. It is also totally irrelevant to anyone’s life and is a great distraction from larger issues.
The reason it isn’t being regularly covered is that our politicians have allowed mass media in the United States to be consolidated to a hand full of mega-conglomerate multi-national corporations, and they are blatantly disregarding our anti-trust laws. Corporations don’t like to report on issues which are bad for corporations, like the banking system bankrupting the country, so you get Kim Kardashian updates and all that, so why not more about Hernandez?
He fits the bill they’ve created. However, the NFL exercises considerable sway when it comes to networks being critical towards it.
Too much coverage about encephalopathy or the fact their commissioner is a liar who sanctions domestic violence and they might just freeze you out of bidding on the newest television contract. That could hurt your bottom line, so you’d better read their memos. The Hernandez case is a black eye for a league already known for having the highest crime rate this side of the Ferguson Police Department. The press corps died a long time ago. They’ll lay down for war and they’ll lay down for football revenue.
Before I elaborate I’d like to harken back to the O.J. Simpson trial. For those too young to remember, it was indeed the “Trial of the Century.” Coverage was constant, being shown in eight hour blocks on many mainstream television channels. They actually interrupted the World Series to show O.J. attempting to flee the country in a Bronco. It is widely considered one of the most covered news events in American history, ranking up there with Watergate.
Let’s examine the differences between these two cases in terms of the viewing interest they should generate, given our media’s warped standards of what deserves coverage:
1. The O.J. case involved a double murder, whereas Hernandez is only on trial for one murder although he may be tried separately for killing several more people. Point O.J.
2. Hernandez was coached by the devious Bill Belichik who just this year dominated the news cycle because of a scandal involving deflated footballs. Interesting then that the team’s murderous former starting tight end commands far less coverage. It has been speculated Belichick knew of Hernandez’ activity and advised him to get a safe house in the form of a Boston apartment where he could smoke angel dust and hide evidence from his finacee. If Belichick is called to testify he could solidify his status as one of the all-time great American villains alongside Al Capone and Whitey Bulger. Point Hernandez.
3. Hernandez was currently in the NFL, starting on a team which had gone to the Super Bowl the year before and was widely considered one of the most promising young players in the league. Simpson had been retired from the NFL for nearly twenty years, and at the time of his arrest was ranked 13th overall in all-time NFL rushing yards. He also enjoyed C list celebrity status from doing rental car commercials and appearing in the Naked Gun series. Push.
4. The O.J. trial featured a murdered hot white woman. She had also been married to a black man. This may have been a major reason the case garnered so much attention, as it exemplified the media’s often thinly veiled racism when it comes to the portrayal of black people. Time Magazine famously darkened O.J’s skin on their cover. A black man and a white woman is gold when it comes to baiting stupid half-racist audiences. The trial featured a detective who dropped N-bombs like they were going out of style. There have been entire books written on the pivotal role the O.J. trial played in affecting race relations in this country. Hernandez meanwhile murdered a black man and sadly but truly this doesn’t mean as much when it comes to news coverage in this country. Point O.J.
5. O.J. murdered his ex-wife and her boyfriend so nobody close to him was called to testify in the case. Hernandez’ fiancee has taken the stand and admitted to destroying evidence. Hernandez is visibly trying to curry favor with her during the trial. Presumably they are still engaged. She’s pretty hot, also. On top of that the guy Hernandez murdered was the boyfriend of Hernandez’ fiancee’s sister. You can’t buy this kind of drama. Point Hernandez.
6. O.J. was a slacks wearing Brentwood Republican who murdered his ex-wife with a knife outside her house. Hernandez was a tatted up gang banger who shot a guy, or watched one of his buddies shoot a guy, outside of the very stadium in which he played. Push.
ESPN gives sparse updates on the Hernandez case. They opened every single show for the entire ten month duration of the trial with new developments in the O.J. saga. I’m not sure what business ESPN has covering murders in the first place, but it should be noted O.J. had been out of the league for twenty years. Hernandez was about to attend training camp for the Patriots when it was reported he was being questioned in a murder, at which point he gave police a cell phone which had been smashed with a sledge hammer and they raided his house. This is made for TV. Why is the media not all over this?
CNN, FOX, ABC, NBC, ESPN and CBS are barely touching it. Coverage of Hernandez’ trial compared to O.J.’s isn’t topping one percent. All of these networks, or a fellow member of their conglomerate, are actively involved in seeking out the NFL’s next major television contract, and many of them have current contracts. This comes from the top down.
So, business opportunities dictate what gets reported on the news. It’s as simple as that. The NFL has particular sway because they provide content, but realize that the interests of giant unchecked corporations overwhelmingly favor more media consolidation. Hence, less news about Bank of America illegally screwing people over on their mortgage loans. In fact you’ll see commercials for them during NFL games. Less news about the United States’ involvement in Syria. Less news about the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Less news about BPA in your Tupperware.
Do you really think these networks don’t want to lead with a football star’s fiancee testifying against him in a murder trial? Do you think FOX or ESPN don’t want to dedicate countless ill-conceived segments to this? Do you really think Anderson Cooper doesn’t want to hash this out every goddamn night? CNN is doing sit down interviews with Billy Ray Cyrus and reporting on the newest Carl’s Jr. burger. Disney owns them. And ESPN. Coincidence?
This is what the media is clamoring for. I wonder what’s stopping them.