When news doesn’t become news
Independent journalist Marisa Kabas on Monday posted a question on Bluesky:
“i am inviting anyone from a legacy media organization to explain to me why the house judiciary dems report on trump’s epstein’s ties and multiple allegations of rape isn’t worthy of extensively reporting on. i’m serious. i want to understand.”
She later posted she had gotten no responses.
She wrote on Tuesday to Patrick Healy, assistant managing editor for standards and trust at the New York Times, to ask the same question; no response.
The coverage of a report by House Judiciary Committee Democrats was, well, all over the map.
Late Monday night, the story led the home page of the Miami Herald, written by Julie K. Brown and Claire Healy. Brown received a special citation from the Pulitzer Board this year for her investigation into Jeffrey Epstein in 2017 and 2018.
The story also was featured prominently in Time magazine and People magazine. Other outlets that did cover it to one degree or another were doing so quietly as of late Monday.
The explanation within easy reach is that a lot of editors are wary of a story like this a week before the election. The Democrats presumably timed release of the report intentionally, and newsrooms don’t like looking like they’re being led around.
Hillary Clinton, an expert in October surprises, would like a word.
The New York Times reported the story, grudgingly, it seemed to me: We can’t avoid this completely, so here. It’s a short piece placing the report in the context of political strategy. Rape — there is a new allegation — is not mentioned.
The head: Democrats Call for Special Counsel to Scrutinize Trump Ties to Epstein
The subhead: The request comes as Democrats are working to paint Republicans as corrupt and highlight their plans to investigate Trump should they win the midterm elections.
The story, by Michael Gold, almost screamed not to be noticed:
A new report written by Democratic staff aides on the Judiciary Committee accuses Mr. Trump of being “an active participant in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young women,” though it largely cites allegations that have already been public.
Whatever else is in the story, this paragraph tells us something the Times decided before the first word was written: We’re not making this a thing — “it largely cites allegations that have already been public.” Largely is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
Editors make decisions on narratives every day: what stories are one-and-done, which ones have legs. Those choices are the craft; they are your editorial statement. A congressional report with a new development in a story that Trump and friends have managed to stonewall? That’s an easy yes unless your frame is already set on something else: We’re not making this a thing.
In contrast, the Cheesecake Factory food fight is a thing in many internet places.
And Politico has an exclusive: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been using a Police Department gym for evening pick-up basketball games. Grumbles have been heard.