Media Memories: Coverage of the O.J. Simpson Double Murder Story Changed Everything

My reaction to Simpson39s death and the coverage surrounding it wasn39t very different from anyone else39s with one exception Oddly but after much thought not surprisingly it had me feeling nostalgic I don39t expect members of Gen Z or Gen Alpha to understand The entire Simpson story played out before they were born For the rest of us it was the beginning of the end of life as we knew itAdmittedly I hadn39t felt any kind of nostalgia until I watched NewsNation Thursday night specifically that night39s edition of Cuomo Host Chris Cuomo was off that night and Geraldo Rivera who back in the day covered the Simpson case extensively for CNBC and elsewhere was filling in for himRivera started things off in a rather direct manner quotThe professional football player movie star and acquitted slasher killer OJ Simpson is dead and while I usually make it a point not to speak ill of the dead Simpson does not deserve that mercyquot he said quotIn my opinion based on the evidence I have seen he was an enraged obsessively jealous double murderer who hid his rage behind a mask of affability He exploited our nation39s racial divide to avoid responsibility for the brutal slasher killings that he perpetrated on Nicole Brown Simpson his exwife and mother of their two children and her friend Ronald Goldman OJ nearly cut their heads off then he left town only to skulk back via the infamous white Bronco slowspeed 405 freeway car chasequotWhat followed he added was quotthe most sensational televised criminal trial in historyquotIt remains such to this day amp8230 which speaks to my feelings of nostalgia The entire story from beginning to end was the last major media phenomenon to play out in its entirety before digital media began to creep in and change everythingConsider the wideranging impact of the Simpson story across the predigital media landscape It boosted CNN and Court TV to new heights galvanizing the ratings for both MSNBC and Fox News Channel launched after it ended in July 1996 and October 1996 respectively On CNN it made Larry King39s program which was telecast live MondayFriday at 9 pm the goto show for nightly updates and lively balanced interviews The ongoing story spiked sales and circulation for magazines and newspapers Some might say it was print publishing39s last hurrah It brought together an unforgettable cast of reallife characters whose stories sold those magazines and newspapers and boosted those TV numbers Collectively they captivated the country more than fictional characters in America39s hottest primetime scripted showsA personal note In July 1995 Simpson39s usual driver along with Allan Park another limo driver who happened to drive Simpson to the airport the night of the murders both appeared at a celebrity filled party during NBC39s portion of that summer39s Television Critics Association tour The press quickly lost interest in cast members from Friends Seinfeld ER Frasier and other hits to dash over meet them and pose with them for polaroid pictures the selfies of the day In fact the stars lost interest in the press and wanted to talk to the drivers as wellSpeaking of celebrities the Simpson saga also introduced the nation to the Kardashians Robert Kardashian was an attorney on Simpson39s quotDream Teamquot of powerful lawyers And it greatly advanced the careers of many television news reporters and personalities among them Nancy Grace Harvey Levin Star Jones and Dan AbramsLive trial coverage and analysis which lasted through most of 1995 crushed the life out of the broadcast networks39 daily soap operas They had dominated daytime for decades but never recovered after a year of perpetual preemptionsAnd in the opposite daypart it also gave us new lows in latenight talk show humor For one example go online and find tasteless video clips of the Dancing Itos meant to have fun with the judge presiding over the Simpson trial on The Tonight Show during Jay Leno39s early years as hostAs Rivera noted the shocking story largely divided much of the country along racial lines as had the trial of Rodney King three years earlier the result of which sparked massive riots throughout Los Angeles that killed dozens and injured thousands But it also brought Americans together in front of their television sets one fateful Friday night in June 1994 to watch that infamous Bronco chaseAnother personal note The Bronco added fresh excitement to a party at my house We all were riveted I can39t help but wonder if there were smart phones then would we all have been watching in selfimposed isolationThe story brought us all together again as 150 million people stopped what they were doing one day in October 1995 to watch the verdict again finding TV sets wherever possible and gathering in groups to do soAbove and beyond all else journalists from major media outlets at the time were still valued People knew the difference between an acclaimed newspaper or television program and a trashy tabloid Some tabs it must be said did break news throughout the story I can39t imagine the coverage of any aspect of the Simpson atrocity as filtered through the content put forth today by selfappointed commentators and chatterboxes on Twitter and TikTok Think of the noiseIndeed the broadcast and cable networks last Thursday were filled with videos and ancient interview clips that sparked alltoovivid memories of how we once experienced massive ongoing news stories without the Internet in our pockets and social media clouding our minds And here39s another hindsight reality to ponder Thirty years ago millions of people around the world kept up to date on the ongoing drama of all things Simpson by the day if not the hour devouring the ongoing breaking news surrounding this longrunning story even without quotbenefitquot of digital devices and platformsCall it what you will amp8230 quottraditionalquot media did the job and did it well in what very well may have been its last standPosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

Media Memories: Coverage of the O.J. Simpson Double Murder Story Changed Everything

Author

Publish date

Channel

Ed Martin

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

More Videos:

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

Media Memories: Coverage of the O.J. Simpson Double Murder Story Changed Everything

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Ed Martin

TAGS:

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

Cookies