MacCallum's Darfur Crusade Short-Lived, Misses News for Anna Nicole Smith, Other Crucial Updates
Reported by Judy - December 13, 2006 -
Martha MacCallum's heart-felt interest in the plight of those suffering in Darfur has proven to be remarkedly short-lived. Only one day after the "Live Desk" featured a segment on Darfur and MacCallum promised to keep track of Democratic actions on Darfur, MacCallum on Wednesday (December 13, 2006) ignored developments in the region.
MacCallum had absolutely no time for Darfur, but plenty of time for updates on legal action by the putative father of former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith's baby, the Duke University lacrosse rape allegations, and an internet dating site for "hot" singles.
Couldn't she have spared a minute or two of that time to update viewers on Darfur, so that she next time she rakes Democrats (who have yet to take control of the House and Senate) for failing to action, her viewers might have a little context for her whining.
She might have brought her viewers any of the following bits of news:
George Clooney Campaigns for Darfur in Egypt.
Darfur Insecurity Hinders Humanitarian Aid, by the Voice of America.
Rebels Say Government Airstrike Kills 8 in Darfur, from the Sudan Tribune.
Iraq Casts Doubt Over Darfur Options, from the Financial Times.
Annan Steps Up Efforts to Halt Atrocities in Darfur, in the Globe and Mail.
But no, MacCallum didn't have time for half a million suffering people two days in a row. She could, however, devote another 11 minutes Wednesday (on top of a similar amount of time Tuesday) to the missing hikers in Mt. Hood, proving the old news addage that the farther away an event occurs, the more people have to die (or be in danger of dying) for it to be considered newsworthy.
