By
Dan Gainor
August 23, 2005 - 2:00pm
Gas
Hysteria
More Media Go Drilling for Viewers
CBS, ABC launch new
features on gas prices. Reporter Axelrod shows hes going the wrong
way.
By Dan Gainor [1]
August 23, 2005
The media continued a full-court press on gas prices thanks to a 6-cent increase per gallon. Here are some of the latest high and low points:
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If you say
something often enough: USA Todays Chris Woodyard joined the
record-setting crowd of journalists intent on ignoring basic
economics. According to Woodyards August 23 article, the average
price of gasoline rose 6.2 cents last week to a record average of
$2.612 a gallon. The August 22 broadcast of CBS Evening News
showed anchor John Roberts making the same mistake. He didnt just
mention it, he underscored it. And now, 83 cents later, Americans
are paying the highest price that we have ever paid, Roberts
said. Two of the August 23 morning shows followed suit. Kate Snow,
of ABCs Good Morning America, joined the crowd saying: new
record gas prices. Apparently driving some people to desperate
measures. The Early Shows Hannah Storm chimed in with This
morning, another record high.
-
Another big
jump: According to Roberts, a 6-cent increase is another big
jump. A 6-cent change on a gallon of gas represents roughly a
2-percent rise. Hardly a big jump.
-
Holy bleep!:
CBS Evening News brought some levity to the issue with its new
Cross-Country Price Patrol. Reporter Jim Axelrod was traveling
from New York to San Francisco. On the first leg of his journey,
he showed that he didnt know where he was going with the story.
Talking while he was driving, Axelrod said the following: We know
what kind of crazy drivers plague the streets in Manhattan. The
recent spike in the price of gas has made going to the pump ...
I'm going the wrong way! Holy [bleep].
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Americans
understand: Despite the media beating the drum of record
highs, Americans seem to understand that gas prices are
inconvenient, not life-changing. According to GMAs Snow,
Americans are predicted to hit the road in record numbers over
the Labor Day weekend.
-
Over A Barrel:
ABCs World News Tonight didnt want to be left out. The
broadcast included its own series on gas prices and how to
emphasize them in the scariest way possible. According to reporter
David Muir, This time last year, the average cost of a gallon of
gas was $1.88, and that was high. Muir didnt explain why $1.88
was high or who had claimed that was the case.
-
What next?:
At the end of the ABC Over A Barrel report, anchor Charles
Gibson warned about the next report: Tomorrow, for our series,
what the government can do about the price of gas. And what the
impact might be. The question is, will ABC mention that
government should have no role in price control?