This is weird -- M$M virtually ignores major event involving threat against the White House

[MindPilot]

A man--who happens to be a pilot, the second one in southern California in as many weeks--makes threats against the White House and the President serious enough to bring the Secret Service to his door. He leads The Secret Service and LAPD on a chase to the LA Federal Building and begins a stand-off with SWAT officers, forcing road closures, the lockdown of the Federal building, and evacuation of an apartment complex. After eight hours, four teargas cannisters, a heavy dousing of pepper spray, and forced entry into the car, the guy is finally arrested.

Yet the only coverage was the local LA TV stations. CNN & MSNBC didn't touch it nor did any of the major networks even though it was actually happening during evening news time. Nothing about it in the papers this morning, at least not that I can find, save for a brief mention here and there--mostly bloggers.

It's kind of surreal--in fact my girlfriend asked "did that really happen or are we having some kind of collective dream?"

Usually if some guy runs a stop sign in LA and a cop takes off after him, every TV station in the country goes to BREAKING LIVE COVERAGE!!

[Joanne98]

1. Because they're helping the conservatives!

CNN needs to be officially accused of trying to get the first black president assassinated!

[malaise]

2. GEM$NBC gave it a few seconds

yesterday and this morning. That said the absence of meaningful coverage re this chase and stand-off is shocking.

[redqueen]

3. Yeah... definitely weird that they chose not to go all mental over it

the way they usually do for car chases.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Once upon a time, it would have been strange. In today's America, it's the norm.

[Zywiec]

5. I'm in Maryland and I saw it on one of the MSM channels

It wasn't a complete news blackout.

[MindPilot]

9. did they do breaking! live-shot type coverage

or did they make mention of it during a regular newscast?

The reason I find the lack of national coverage so surprising is that (I'm gonna play devil's advocate for a minute) from a TV news perspective this had huge gee-whiz factor. SWAT was using all their cool equipment; the guy sat in the car with the windows up for over seven hours on a hot summer day, took four heavy hits of tear gas--stuff movies are made of; and the climax was timed perfectly to coincide with the evening news broadcasts.

Producers don't often get that kind of live footage dumped in their laps.

[SeattleGirl]

6. I noticed it too.

I guess when it involves a threat against a black Democratic President, it's not news worthy.

[jberryhill]

7. It could be preferable not to draw attention to attention-seekers

I don't know whether coverage of this sort of thing inspires folks looking for their 15 minutes of fame.

[yodermon]

8. cheez you'd think HuffPo would at least lead with this.n/t

[lurky]

10. Maybe the Secret Service requested it?

Whenever we get a big media brouhaha about this kind of event, you end up with a bunch of copycats. Think Columbine. I imagine the WH asked them not to fan the flames...

[lurky]

11. Corollary: Is Fox News hyping it?

I'm curious, but not enough to actually look.

[MindPilot]

12. No, for the time that I could stomach have my TV tuned to Fox

I didn't see anything.

[MindPilot]

15. Possible, but I don't think so

The new organizations all monitor the police freqs. They released the guy's name and address--there was never not a feed from a news chopper. You could hear the pilot's radio communications as one left go get fuel and another took it's place

And could you imagine the POUTRAGE if somebody at Fox or CNN got a call saying "don't cover this"? We would hear for weeks how the Obama administration is suppressing free speech and taking away freedoms just like we told you he would.

[BlueIdaho]

13. The guy's neighbors say

He is a mentally troubled guy who is perfectly reasonable unless he stops taking his meds - then he goes off the deep end. They further stated he has never harmed anyone. Perhaps this guy was more a threat to himself than anyone else so there's no real news there. I will say the MSM seems to be turning a corner today. I see more segments on racism, militias, hyperbolic speech, and just how dangerous they are to society. So perhaps they have gotten all they can get out of these pinheads and its time for the circus to leave town.

[dgibby]

14. I saw it covered several times on CNN. n/t