A lack of 9/11 headlines: Has ‘Never Forget’ been forgotten?

Tuesday marks the eleventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks. While many marked the occasion with special ceremonies or a moment of silence, some of the other remembrances, or lack thereof, have Ross and Burbank wondering if that whole “Never Forget” mentality is over.

“The New York Times and The New York Post, neither one of those newspapers actually had stories about 9/11 on their front pages which I have to say I thought was pretty remarkable,” says host Luke Burbank.

It’s one thing for the 9/11 coverage to be shirked in Seattle, but he says it’s quite another thinking about how residents in New York will view the front-page omission. “If you were in New York, there’s a decent chance that you were deeply affected by this, and if you were particularly, if you’re someone who lost your husband or wife or family member and The New York Times isn’t even mentioning it on the cover that it happened. I have to say I would feel personally hurt by that.”

Producer Andrew Walsh acknowledges there is a certain dilemma as to how to cover a significant historical event after a certain amount of time has passed. He says the march of progress inevitably leads to these major events transitioning to the background.

As for how much time has to pass for it to be OK to shift things to the back page, Walsh isn’t sure 11 years is appropriate. The tragedy still has everyday implications for many.

The New York Times published a piece from one of its editors explaining the level of coverage the paper was dedicating to 9/11. In it, she explains that decision on prominence of coverage has to do with just how many new developments there have been.

“Editors try to let news events or developments dictate how much news coverage an event will get,” writes New York Times Editor Margaret Sullivan.

“You might call it ‘anniversary journalism.’ Every year, the anniversary of D-Day, the commemoration of Veterans Day and other important dates cause journalists to try to find the right balance between what readers think is appropriate and necessary and the lack of any actual news to drive the coverage,” says Sullivan. “Often, other than the local events surrounding an anniversary, there isn’t always much to say that is original. Yet, readers, understandably, want the dates remembered in a substantial way.”

Even though he didn’t agree with The New York Times or The New York Post leaving it off the front page, Luke says there was at least one worse offender on the eleventh anniversary.

“The Today Show” chose not to observe the moment of silence taken on the other major network morning shows. Instead they opted for the latest news on Kim Kardashian, with an interview with Kardashian’s mom Kris Jenner.

“There are so many ways you can cover 9/11 and the anniversary of 9/11,” says Burbank. “If the word Kardashian ever enters the conversation, that just tells you: You’re doing it wrong.”

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor