When I hear the word newsworthy I think of major events, such as train collisions, murderers convicted and presidents elected among many things. Never does the thought of a person getting emotional conjure any thought in my mind that it could be worthy of being headline news.
During Friday night’s edition of CNN’s ‘AC360’ with Anderson Cooper, the producers in charge of selecting the stories co-anchor Erica Hill reads on the air in between Cooper’s segments decided to include a story about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton getting emotional when honoring fallen soldiers of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with a plaque at the entrance of the state department.
Hill read the story right after briefing the viewers on the latest developments on the professor from the University of Georgia who is wanted for a shooting, which left three people dead including his wife.
Now, I may be a beginner to the world of’ journalism and developing good news judgement, but when did a female politician getting emotional over a dead soldier become the equivalent of headline news to a man being suspected of murdering his wife?
Wait a minute, that’s always been newsworthy because apparently it’s wrong for women in the public eye to convey any and all forms of emotions because it shows a sign of weakness.
Anyone who even turned on their TV to any news channel or even scrolled through their Yahoo news bulletins back in January 2008 could not have missed the story about Clinton tearing up at a New Hampshire campaign event during the primaries.
After reading the story, I was disgusted to see the moment merited any attention. After hearing about it excessively in the weeks that followed made me wonder if Susan B. Anthony would have been rolling in her grave if she knew about it.
What’s the big deal America if a woman sheds a tear? Does that automatically mean she’s way too emotional and doesn’t know how to be serious and focus on the job? Of course it doesn’t, but coverage of moments like these say otherwise.
After Hill finished anchoring about Clinton choking up, I was surprised the story made it to air. But within a second it made sense to me that media would find that shocking because women in power can’t show emotion.
As a society, we have ingrained this way of thinking in ourselves. Time after time, we have made it OK to point out a woman’s emotional moment and use it against her as if it was to our benefit.
To all those people who think a woman shows weakness when shedding a tear under pressure, or during a sad moment, then the only word to describe this kind of thinking is ignorant. Nothing good will come from continuing this way of thinking. It’s the 21st century America, grow up.
