If we don't want to see excessive coverage of things like the Smollett case

[LongtimeAZDem]

then, in the future, we need to stop jumping on every sensational story before the facts are in.

When we go from zero to full outrage every time, the media is going to respond, because it is a business, and sensation sells. When it turns out that a story is bogus, it pays them double or more, because they get to cover the coverage.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. I never heard of this guy until this mess came up...

...and I'm going back to not knowing who he was.

[samnsara]

2. I never knew who he was.. i never watched the show...

..when I first read what happened it was like 'OH well another person has been injured'....kinda like I feel after reading about a car wreck. Then I went on about my work. No further thought on it than that. Im SO TIRED of hearing about it. I want to know more about the guy who tried to kill us all or hear about roger stone.

[marylandblue]

3. Problem is, human nature is at play

If you create a fast, simple narrative involving a celebrity, intrigue, politics and race, people will jump on it every time.

The only way not to get caught up is not to watch cable news.

I did a quick comparison of the Washington Post and CNN's webpage right now. The Post has one story on an "Empire actor." CNN has 5 stories on "Smollet." It's clear they are speaking to different audiences. Which one do you want to be a part of?

[radius777]

4. This was an obvious hoax

and most people (aside from the media) knew it from the beginning.

I don't think people are surprised, or that it changes much when it comes to hate crimes.. we have the Coast Guard Trumper white nationalist who wanted to kill liberals, Dems, PoC etc.. and this is just the most recent in a long line of such incidents since Trump was elected.

[PSPS]

5. "since Trump was elected"

It's my observation that this actually ramped up when Obama was elected in '08. Trump's presence accelerated it.

[radius777]

6. True. The Tea Party, Birtherism, White Nationalism, etc

were the alt-right 'primordial soup' from which Trump emerged... were all a reaction to the election of the first black president and potentially the first female president.

[ripcord]

10. Considering the outrage by our politicians helped fuel this whole thing

Everyone obviously didn't know it was a hoax.

[radius777]

11. Agree, they should've stayed quiet

until more facts came out.

But I do think most regular people did feel from the beginning it was fishy, and are thus not really suprised by the outcome, though Trump/RW will use it to their advantage to minimalize the role Trumpism has in the rise of (real) hate crimes.

[ripcord]

12. I'm sure a number of people were suspicious

I also noticed some people voicing those suspicions here and they weren't popular.

[stillcool]

7. "We" have nothing to do with ...

what stories networks choose to cover, or how they choose to tell you a story. If you really don't want to see excessive coverage, turn it off.

[Raine]

8. Yes, exactly nt

[OneBro]

9. In a vacuum, you're right, but compared to Christopher Paul Hasson . . .

. . . it isn't so simple. People aren't complaining that the Smollett case is being covered, they are complaining that the Smollett case is being covered as though Smollett tried to kill the President while the Christopher Paul Hasson case is being covered as though Hasson angrily mowed his neighbor's lawn because of the dandelions.