Posts Tagged ‘Media Aesthetic’

The New York Times reported late yesterday that New York Governor David Paterson had his staff make contact with the woman who accused one of his top aides of an incredibly violent physical attack.  The victim had sought a restraining order on several occasions, and in the past few days it leaked that Patterson may have interfered to some degree in preventing the woman from gaining court protection.  In the ensuing fallout, Paterson suspended his re-election campaign but insists he won’t resign from office.

Aside from Paterson’s quixotic efforts to remain governor in the wake of these devastating claims, the actions of his public relations spokesperson, Marissa Shorenstein, deserve some attention.

Paterson instructed Shorenstein to contact the victim and urge her to keep quiet.  In doing so, Shorenstein (and perhaps Patterson himself, along with others in his hapless administration) may have violated witness tampering laws in New York’s penal code.  Breaking the law in the name of public relations is about the worst media aesthetic possible, and the crime takes on unspeakably disgusting dimensions when it’s meant to strike fear into a battered woman’s heart.

Now take a couple of steps back, and look at the narrative in place before Paterson’s ordeal.  Another New York politician, former state senator Hiram Monserrate, recently stood trial for beating and slashing his girlfriend’s face.  The similarities with Paterson’s situation – political figure, domestic violence, public disgust, refusal to resign, dubious denials – are staggering in the eyes of the press.

This is how negative narratives reinforce each other, creating a media surround sound effect.  Think, for example, about how another car company might recoil if/when a recall happens, because of what Toyota is going through.  Today GM recalled 1.3 million cars for safety issues – how do you think their executives feel about being hauled before Congress, regulators, and a firmly skeptical nation?

The reason these stories resonate is that the basic facts have already been reported – usually all that’s different is what trajectory the story is going to take.  Once the press has the basic outline of the narrative, a reporter just needs to plug in different names and facts, and voila – all that’s missing is a headline.