News Anchor Decries Media Self-Censorship

It is neither appropriate nor desirable for the media to censor itself, a local television news personality told an audience of about 30 at the Institute of Politics on Wednesday.

Suzanne Bates, a news anchor for WBZ-TV 4 in Boston, said that public cries for reporters to show sensitivity in their stories are misguided.

In the O.J. Simpson case, for example, the media's desire to publish photographs of the murdered carcasses of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman was not inhumane, Bates said.

"There's always talk about how the media needs to exercise some sort of judgement," Bates said. "But our job is to uncover whatever there is to be told."

Indeed, Bates said, censorship could occur with respect to what is released to the media. The decision about whether publishing the photographs would affect O.J. Simpson's chances of obtaining a fair trial should be made by the courts, she said.

"Any expectation for the media to self-censor is not realistic," Bates said. "That's why it's good that we have a judicial system to decide on these matters."

She also said that the decisions about what news to report are very often based on perceptions of what the public wants to hear--and not what it needs to know.

In response to a question from the audience about why the Simpson case overshadowed the escalating struggle in Rwanda, Bates said people simply wanted to know more about O.J.

"My opinion is that as a society, we have ourpriorities out of whack," Bates said. "I thinkpeople were very concerned about Rwanda--for awhile. And then it fell off the front page. Andthat's due to a lack of interest on the part ofnot everyone, but a lot of people. I don't think amajority of Americans care."

the media tries to bring the public as muchbreaking news as possible because that's what thepeople want.

"People want to see breaking news," she said,citing a WBZ study showing that such events are a"top priority" for viewers.

Bates also said that network executives operateunder the principle that people "would rather seea live drama anything than what passes forentertainment viewing."

This explains why television stations willoften cut into regular programming to broadcastthe Simpson hearings live, Bates said.

"They're making decisions that may seemfinancially unsound, but it's really what peoplewant to see right now," she said.

Bates also said that the Simpson case raised anumber of issues important to the American public,including domestic violence, the fairness of thejudicial system to Blacks and poor people and thedestruction of heroes.

"There's this sort of unrelenting hero worship,where we create a hero, make him into a celebrityand destroy them, because they can never live upto that image," Bates said.

"One thing I can think of is Nancy Kerrigan,"said Bates, referring to the Olympic skater whowas attacked outside a stadium. "One sidewaysglance in Disney Land and the myth is destroyed.

"My opinion is that as a society, we have ourpriorities out of whack," Bates said. "I thinkpeople were very concerned about Rwanda--for awhile. And then it fell off the front page. Andthat's due to a lack of interest on the part ofnot everyone, but a lot of people. I don't think amajority of Americans care."

the media tries to bring the public as muchbreaking news as possible because that's what thepeople want.

"People want to see breaking news," she said,citing a WBZ study showing that such events are a"top priority" for viewers.

Bates also said that network executives operateunder the principle that people "would rather seea live drama anything than what passes forentertainment viewing."

This explains why television stations willoften cut into regular programming to broadcastthe Simpson hearings live, Bates said.

"They're making decisions that may seemfinancially unsound, but it's really what peoplewant to see right now," she said.

Bates also said that the Simpson case raised anumber of issues important to the American public,including domestic violence, the fairness of thejudicial system to Blacks and poor people and thedestruction of heroes.

"There's this sort of unrelenting hero worship,where we create a hero, make him into a celebrityand destroy them, because they can never live upto that image," Bates said.

"One thing I can think of is Nancy Kerrigan,"said Bates, referring to the Olympic skater whowas attacked outside a stadium. "One sidewaysglance in Disney Land and the myth is destroyed.