Making Women Cry

Analysis:

Both of these stories frame this topic in the same manner, focusing on the fact that Alito’s wife started crying during the questioning. The WZZM piece starts out with the newsreaders saying “Well the stress of the confirmation hearing is taking a toll on Judge Samuel Alito’s wife.” WOOD TV eight starts their story with “Emotions ran high at today’s hearing on Capitol Hill for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. And it was too much for his wife who eventually had to leave the room.” So in both cases, the emphasis was not on the actual questions that Alito was asked about but rather on the emotional response from his wife.

The stories do provide some quick soundbites of various senators. The WZZM 13 story provided less information than the WOOD piece, being less than a minute long and it presented the quotes in a misleading fashion. The WZZM 13 newsreader states that Alito’s wife “left in tears after this line of questioning.” This is followed by a clip of Senator Sen. Lindsey Graham saying “Are you really a closet bigot?” and Alito responding “I’m not any kind of a bigot.” What is not made clear in this story is that Graham is a Republican Senator who is actually very supportive of Alito’s nomination and that his question of “Are you really a closet bigot?” was not a serious question but a rhetorical one. The line of questions that prompted Alito’s wife’s response was never actually reported in the story. The WOOD 8 story was more accurate in that it states that “his wife Martha Ann wept when a republican came to the rescue.” Followed by Senator Graham saying “you why I believe you…., because of the way you have lived your life and the way you and your wife are raising your children.” While the WOOD 8 story is more accurate than the WZZM story in how they use the Senators statements, both stories frame this issue of Alito’s nomination through a strictly partisan perspective. No non-partisan perspectives or analyses are provided nor is any background information on Alito given. Viewers should ask themselves, would they be able to formulate an informed opinion on the judicial philosophy of Samuel Alito if relyingon these news pieces for their information.

Story:

WOOD 8 Newsreader – Emotions ran high at today’s hearing on Capitol Hill for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. And it was too much for his wife who eventually had to leave the room. Democrats lashed out at the judge in day three of the Senate hearings, Steve Handlesman has the latest for us.

Reporter – Samuel Alito swore he’d go to the US Supreme court with an open mind on abortion.

Samuel Alito – Cases that are going to have an impact on the real world, we shouldn’t decide those questions even in our own minds.

Reporter – Democrats don’t believe him.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin – It evidences a mind that sadly is closed on some areas.

Reporter – Sen. Durbin of Illinois asked again if Alito considered Roe vs. Wade settled.

Alito – It’s a very important precedent that …
Durbin – It’s the settled law of the land.

Alito – …it has been reaffirmed, but it is an issue that is involved in litigation now.

Durbin – Many people will leave this hearing with questions as to whether or not you could be the deciding vote that could eliminate the legality of abortion.

Reporter – Democrats demanded documents on Alito’s membership in the mid-eighties in a Princeton University alumni club accused of racism and sexism.

Ted Kennedy – I think we are entitled to this information; it deals with the fundamental issues of equality.

Reporter – Alito said he dropped his membership and deplores bigotry and his wife Martha Ann wept when a republican came to the rescue.

Sen. Lindsey Graham – Do you why I believe you when you say this about those quotes, because of the way you have lived your life and the way you and your wife are raising your children.

Reporter – Republicans are celebrating.

U.S. Senator Jon Kyl – This is a brilliant jurist, I have been very, very impressed with his command of the law.

Charles Cook (Political Analyst) – Unless Democrats come up with some sort of a bombshell, they’re not going to stop Alito.

Reporter- Democrats frustrated by the calm and careful conservative. I’m Steve Handlesman NBC news Capitol Hill.

Total time: 1 minute 50 seconds

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WZZM 13 Newsreader #1 – Well the stress of the confirmation hearing is taking a toll on Judge Samuel Alito’s wife.

WZMM 13 Newsreader #2 – She left in tears after this line of questioning.

Sen. Lindsey Graham – Are you really a closet bigot?

Samuel Alito – I’m not any kind of a bigot.

Newsreader #2 – Senator Kennedy criticized Judge Alito’s membership in a Princton Alumni group that opposed admitting women and minorities. Alito said he would not be part of an organization with those positions. When asked about presidential powers, Alito gave this answer.

Samuel Alito – I certainly don’t think that the president has a blank check in a time of war.

Newsreader #2 – The confirmation hearings remain our big story online, log on to wzzm13.com to see links to USA Today stories, profiles of justices on the supreme court and profiles of senators on both sides of the debate.

Total Time: 54 seconds