Foreign Outlets Pay Attention, Too

Matt Digby

md313208@ohio.edu

@MDigbyOU

Mitt Romney released his tax returns for 2010 & 2011 last week. Photo courtesy Getty Images.

Last week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released his tax returns from the last two years.

I would define this story as the first bit of actual "news" to occur since the end of the conventions. Al Jazeera thought so too, so it posted an article of their own on the release. It is not on the front page, and I had to go well into the "Americas" portion of the site, but it also posted a video about the release, which you can view here:

I don't think this is the fault of Al Jazeera, or any other news organization, but the fact is there haven't been many "juicy" stories since either convention. I have not seen any television ads that sparked outcries from either party, and I doubt AJ broadcasts the ads to their viewers, because most (not all) of them are not American citizens. (Don't forget the active military, who will be receiving their absentee ballots this week!)

Maybe most Americans (and others) don't care about what goes on in the political process in September. With the college football and NFL seasons in full swing, and the MLB playoffs not far away, campaigns and their media coverage are in a harsh competition for a viewer's attention, and the viewer might find sports more entertaining.

Al Jazeera's graphic for their in-depth election coverage.

I am glad to see Al Jazeera is covering something related to the campaign in September, and with the first debate on October 3, I expect to see multiple stories by the next time I post here.

How much do you think "time of year" plays a factor into how much attention people pay to the campaign? Let me know what you think!