Categories: OLD Media Moves

Disney coverage accentuates the negative

TheStreet.com’s media critic Marek Fuchs writes Wednesday that the Associated Press, the Economist and even TheStreet.com overplayed the bad news regarding Walt Disney Co.’s earnings on Tuesday.

Marek Fuchs The Wall Street Journal did better, while the Reuters story was perfect, he added.

Fuchs wrote, “To the Business Press Maven’s eye, Gina Keating over at Reuters did a pitch-perfect job, not even mentioning the next-to meaningless net income slide until halfway through the article. Here is her headline: ‘Disney profit beats Street, no sign economy hurts.’ And the masterful lead:

“Walt Disney Co’s quarterly profit topped Wall Street targets as Disney World set attendance records and its TV and consumer businesses grew despite a turbulent U.S. economy, while executives said they were ‘pretty optimistic.'”

“Gina’s story accurately reflects what investors need to know: This was really a top-notch report, with broad-based strength evidenced over several of the firm’s businesses in a challenging environment. Let’s not confuse it by featuring one-time nonsense too prominently. Gina — and Disney — The Business Press Maven genuflects in your general direction.”

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Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.