Is the national and international public already growing ill by the excessive media coverage of the Michael Jackson case? Just last week was the start of jury selection for the entertainer's upcoming trial, and news networks such as CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, all had their cameras trained on Jackson as he entered and left court at the beginning of the day, and even as he was returning from a lunch break. Many viewers are wondering if this is what is to expect over the course of the trial.
A number in television insist that that will not be the case. Though they expect the upcoming trial to be newsworthy, they don't anticipate it becoming an obsession, and they don't intend to cover it as such.
"It's certainly not going to dominate our air, not the way that O.J. did and not when you think of all the other things that we're dealing with as a nation, like terrorism, the state of the war, the tsunami," Mark Effron, vice president of news and daytime programming at MSNBC, said.
Others would argue that the media's obsession with Jackson's predicament has long since begun, kicking off on November 18, 2003, when Santa Barbara authorities raided the singer’s home. There exist numerous instances where coverage more pertinent to the nation has been interrupted to switch over to Jackson.
The media argues that though Jackson may be one of the biggest worldwide superstars, several reasons exist as to why television programmers don't anticipate the case grabbing interest, as the O.J. Simpson and Scott Peterson trials had.
One of those reasons has to do with the lack of cameras in the courtroom. Without them, viewers cannot engross themselves in the proceedings themselves, or even see the development of compelling characters, such as defense attorney Johnnie Cochran or Judge Lance Ito. In other words, their viewers would be unable to watch a real life soap opera unfold right before their eyes.
Additionally, messaging devices such as Blackberrys will not be allowed either, eliminating a trick Court TV used to keep their viewers apprised with what was transpiring in the Scott Peterson case, where cameras were not allowed within the courtroom, said Marlene Dann, executive vice president of daytime programming for the cable network.
"Because there are no cameras in the courtroom, it's going to lack a certain sizzle," said Jonathan Klein, CNN chief executive. "A lot of the buzz is going to be manufactured rather than real. Therefore, you might see a dwindling of interest."
It is likely that Larry King will cover most of the case on his show on CNN, while Court TV's Nancy Grace will be starting a legal-oriented show of her own on CNN Headline News due to her keen interest in the case, according to Klein.
"It hasn't been at the forefront of our minds," Klein said. "We'll give it the attention it deserves."
Observers are wary of any coverage and subsequent discussion that would be provided by Grace, whose ability to remain impartial in the Jackson case has yet to be seen. Should past guest appearances and hosting duties over at Court TV and occasionally on "Larry King Live" serve as evidence of what is likely to be seen with the CNN show, many already predict the program will grossly lack any semblance of objectivity.
For MSNBC, Dan Abrams will continue to cover the case for his nightly legal show, but does not expect the coverage to be a steady one. Abrams said that many viewers could relate to Scott and Laci Peterson as personalities, and thus became enthralled by the murder mystery. Jackson, on the other hand, Abrams considers to be an "oddball" to whom no one can relate. Jackson's accuser, though not anonymous, has not been named or shown on American networks since the case broke.
"The interest in this case purely stems from the fact that Michael Jackson is so famous," Abrams said. "That, in and of itself, doesn't sustain interest in a trial over a long period of time."
Court TV has sensed greater international interest in the case, and correspondent Diane Dimond has thus far been interviewed by news media from Germany, Japan and Spain. The "justice" network has also signed an agreement to offer exclusive coverage of the trial to the UK's Channel Five.
Fox News declined to speak about coverage plans.
Klein stated that another reason trial coverage would be kept to a minimum is because syndicated entertainment shows are expected to take over the case. Producers of these tabloid-type programs beg to differ.
"The Jackson trial will not hijack 'Access Hollywood,'" said Rob Silverstein, the show's executive producer. "There are other things going on in the world of entertainment."
Silverstein also claimed that "Access Hollywood" plans to cover the trial's coverage, to serve as a sort of "mirror" should coverage turn into a circus.
"We're going to be smart, we're going to be aggressive and not go over the top," he said. "We're not going to be searching for some former housekeeper who met Michael once and put her on the air."
Silverstein noticed that ratings for syndicated entertainment shows showed no significant increase last Monday, when these programs dedicated large amounts of time to the start of Jackson's jury selection. Similarly, CBS' "48 Hours" drew in about 1 million fewer viewers than average, according to Nielsen Media Research, when it featured an interview with Jackson's parents.
Similarly, a CBS "48 Hours Investigates" report a week ago that featured an interview with Jackson's parents drew nearly a million fewer viewers than the newsmagazine has had on average this season, according to Nielsen Media Research. This can be interpreted as there not being any great public interest in the case as of yet. However, things could change, particularly in the event of dramatic testimony from witnesses, which may include Jackson, and unexpected revelations.
For the moment, network executives are thinking conservative with the coverage.
Time will tell.
Source: Associated Press/MJJForum/eMJey