Pope Funeral: Observations

“The funeral of Pope John Paul II was both a solemn ritual and a news event – and television networks that brought it live into American homes hours before the sun rose struggled to reconcile the two,” the Associated Press says. Here are David Bauder’s comments:

> ABC “was most aggressive in interrupting the Mass to talk about other issues.”

> “Fox News Channel helpfully used graphics to detail the hymns and readings during the Mass.”

> In general, NBC and the cable news nets “showed more restraint and willingness to let the events unfold.”

> “Although NBC’s Brian Williams, who teamed with Couric, only replaced Tom Brokaw in December, the NBC team seemed the most experienced in their roles.”

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