The war on terrorism, national security, and even local issues such as State Street redesign, the budget shortfall and the city elections are all important events in the scheme of things, but right now even the most news-savvy person has turned their focus to the Winter Olympics.
Only Sept. 11 conjured more patriotism than the Olympics. Nightly, Americans gaze into the television and dream of becoming Olympic athletes.
Loyalty toward one’s country is more noticeable than ever. Even the countries who are helping us fight the ongoing war on terrorism become enemies, pitted against our treasured American athletes.
This may be due to a simple love for the United States. Or maybe it’s due to the massive media event the Olympics have become.
The Olympics are on 3 channels, all NBC affiliates, nearly 24 hours a day and people are tuning in.
Ratings for NBC have skyrocketed due to the Olympics; in fact, ratings are higher than the last Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Nielsen Media Research reported NBC drew 35.1 million viewers through Sunday but 45.6 million tuned in for the opening ceremony.
These numbers are higher than any other television show aired at the same time. The opening ceremony drew a rating of 25.5, while the second-highest rating of any show went to Friends with only 17.8.
Patriotism also plays a role in television ratings. Typically if the Olympics take place in the United States the ratings are higher than if they are overseas. The Olympics this year have drawn 23 percent more viewers than in Nagano four years ago.
Although television coverage is non-stop, newspapers won’t be left behind in the flurry of Olympic coverage.
Front pages of newspapers feature photos of the Olympics, not the war.
Even the FBI warning of a possible terrorist attack Tuesday was overshadowed by a dominant photo and story about the Olympics.
This Olympics-dominated coverage is a strong contrast to the past few months, which were saturated with coverage of the war. Since Sept. 11 newspapers have featured pictures of Ground Zero, soldiers in Afghanistan and other desperate images.
Although newspapers focus on the news, it seems the news as it is typically seen is taking a backseat to lightheartedness and revelry within the insulated world of sports.
American news organizations have moved away from gloomy war coverage and toward more cheerful, human-interest stories.
Wednesday’s front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured two stories on the Olympics.
Even the New York Times couldn’t avoid “Olympic fever” with a picture of speed skater Casey FitzRandolph on the front page Wednesday.
Maybe this coverage is a blessing in disguise. The Olympics are a break in the monotony of day-to-day news and they only happen every two years, so why not allow them to dominate the news?
While coverage of the Olympics is always bountiful, this year the change in coverage seems more drastic and is perhaps more welcome.
The Olympics make Americans happy, sad and patriotic. Maybe these are all elements the news is typically missing.
Don’t be fooled–the Olympics only last 17 days and it is likely the media will slip back into the dismal coverage of war-torn Afghanistan or the Enron scandal. After all, these things are news. But for now, enjoy the break in the status quo.
