More controversy for GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Only a few days ago, on Wednesday September 3, Palin gave her much-watched acceptance speech before an enthusastic crowd at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Earlier on Monday, Labor Day, the Alaska governor and her husband shocked a lot of folks when they released a statement admitting their 17-year-old daughter was pregnant.That sparked a storm of reports in the media. US Weekly put Palin and her baby Trig on its September 15, 2008 cover. Also inside the magazine, a pretty extensive story about Palin’s troubles and scandal.
According to MSNBC, some subscribers of US took offense to “Babies, Lies & Scandal,” to the point of canceling subscriptions and threatening to boycott the magazine’s advertisers.
Last night, I stopped off at World Book & News, the popular 24/7 newsstand on North Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood. There were several stacks of the controversial US Weekly edition. I asked the guy at the cash register if he had noticed any activity with the magazine. He said a lot people stopped to look at it and express an opinion, but very few were buying it. Well, I bought two copies.
Later at home, I read the US article about Palin and her family. Most of the information had appeared elsewhere in the media this week. However, there were additional tidbits about Palin’s recent pregnancy, daughter Bristol’s pregnancy, and some interesting comments from the MySpace page of Bristol’s boyfriend, Levi Johnston. I did not find anything outrageous or over the top about the reporting.
Perhaps the upset readers of US need to stop and think about why they are really angry. The media did not create the circumstances nor the scandals surrounding the Palin family. Bottom line, being the focus of media reports goes along with a political candidate’s decision to step into the public eye and campaign for the White House.
