Hayward: A story more fit for page 3

No wonder newspaper circulation is hurting and television news ratings are declining. For the second week in a row, the media has latched onto a story that in the grand scheme of things is fairly meaningless to most Americans, particularly citizens who are struggling financially, have sons and daughters fighting in hopeless wars or simply had plans to vacation along the Gulf of Mexico this summer.

Media outlets are playing up the possibility of Tony Hayward, British Petroleum's CEO, stepping down. Last week we were up to our ears in the Shirley Sherrod nonsense (see previous post). I think a potential Hayward resignation is news, just not above-the-fold, page-one news on consecutive days. News companies have lost a lot of resources in the recession, so pouring time into stories like this is an even bigger waste of newsprint and airtime. The story impacts virtually no one other than the Hayward family. It's not like there is a shortage of other more significant news and topics that deserve reporting and objective analysis. Where has investigative journalism gone? The kind that altered lives and even the planet as a whole? Why are we so immersed in the tale of one filthy-rich guy whose job will be filled by another soulless suit with better public relations skills?

No one cares about Tony Hayward. No one I know, anyway. When super-wealthy guys get fired or are forced to resign, the public sympathy/interest rating reads about a minus five on a 1-to-10 scale. Look, we're happy to not see Hayward very often anymore. We are generally pleased not to see any CEOs on television or on the front pages of newspapers. Playing musical chairs at the top of these corporations is mostly a game of appearances with no ramifications for the public. It's insider stuff that really makes little difference in how the world spins.

I am tired of perceptions, celebrities and politics guiding everything from media coverage to government policies. It's all rather distracting at a time when we need laser-like focus. We should start uniting and educating in order to fix some very real and serious problems. The media can play a role in this if it can find a way to make the news relevant to people's lives.

Unlike the millions laid off in this recession, Hayward is going to be fine -- probably better than ever because that's the way the game is played at the top. BP is going to continue being BP. CEOs will come and go, and when they go, it's always with a golden parachute. The real task at hand for BP is not in replacing Hayward, it's in cleaning up the damn Gulf. The work of the government is to find out what went wrong in this catastrophe. Replacing Hayward is mere window dressing that the media should not get too distracted by while covering the bigger story.