Yesterday, over 800 gay couples from the five boroughs of New York, and a few from other states, had their dreams become a reality when their unions became legally formalized and accounted for by the state of New York. Exactly one month ago, newspapers were filled with images of Governor Andrew Cuomo signing the very much anticipated same-sex bill, which had been rejected in the past, into law -- making New York the sixth state to legalize gay marriage. Couples soon made arrangements and waited for July 24th with bold eagerness. The media was sure to capture this historical event, offering abundant images and videos of blissful couples. I referred to five on-line newspapers to search for reports of yesterday's event: The New York Times, USA Today, BBC News, La Vanguardia (Spanish-language newspaper from Spain), and Politicker NY.
The New York Times offers the most extensive article on the event, with two pages of information. The article made sure to include a prominent photo of Michael Bloomberg, alongside Jonathan Mintz and John Feinblatt, the two staff members he married, and their happy daughters on the top of the page. Their report mainly consists of brief accounts of the lives of random couples, with an emphasis on the mutual joy they feel as a result of the legalization of marriage in New York. One man, who has been with his partner for 42 years, expressed feeling valued as a human being. While the article did include a short paragraph that mentioned the presence of anti-gay rallies, this negative aspect of the celebration was immediately offset by mentioning how the couples blocked the protestors from their view by opening colorful umbrellas.
Unlike The New York Times, USA Today does not make a single mention of any anti-gay demonstrations, nor does it show or mention Bloomberg at any point. A video with the image of two men kissing wholeheartedly is present at the top of the page. When the video is played, one immediately sees the multitude of people in front of Manhattan's City Clerk Office. Although there is no mention of anti-gay demonstrations in the article, the video clearly shows a group of protestors with their anti-gay slogan posters as well as the couples with opened colored umbrellas who are waiting in line. Hence, much of what The New York Times has presented in writing, USA Today has presented in visuals. Approximately half of their one-page article relates the love story of Alan Miles and Drew Glick, a couple who have been together for 16 years. Readers are given a brief background of their courtship, alongside a photo that show the men getting ready for their big day.
BBC News also includes a video on top of the article that shows random scenes of the big event. They divided their article into three sections. The first section focuses on prospective spouses Elise Barcolas and Jenna Glazer, as well as Elise's brother Eric and his fiance Michael. The article apparently found it interesting to include these two siblings that were both partaking in this event together, alongside their mother. For some reason, the writer of the article decided to elaborate on what these couples were wearing in much more detail than any other article I read. In fact, such importance on fashion was not emphasized in any of the other articles. The following section included a female couple who had already been married in San Francisco, but wanted to witness the wondrous event. This section also introduces the reader to Raymond Wapner and Peter Courmont, a couple who have been together for 37 years and are ecstatic to participate in this life-changing event. The last section of the article, who's title was incorrectly misspelled as "Polarising issue," emphasizes exactly what the title implies. It sheds light on negative issues such as how same-sex couples will never entirely get the same legal recognition as heterosexual couples that are married under the National Defense of Marriage Act. The article also makes mention of the oppositionists that argue that same-sex marriage is a redefinition of the institution.
A well-known Spanish-language newspaper throughout Spain, called La Vanguardia, relates the event with a positive and cheerful undertone, similar to the one I perceived from The New York Times. Spain, who adopted the legalization of same-sex marriage back in 2005, can surely relate to yesterday's historical/political event. La Vanguardia has the shortest article of all, and focuses on Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd, who were the first couple to get married in New York. Their article includes a very short (42 seconds) video clip in which Kitty and Cheryle are shown rejoicing and holding up their marriage certificate. They concluded their article by stating that, according to Bloomberg, the marriages will transmit a message to the world that the doors of New York are open to all.
Not surprisingly, Michael Bloomberg is the star of the show in Politicker NY. Reading their article was like reading a supplement to The NY Times, with a lengthy focus on Michael Bloomberg. Similar to The New York Times, the only photo was one of Bloomberg with the two staff members he married, and their daughters, in front of Gracie Mansion. The article was primarily full of quotes from Michael Bloomberg, and a transcription of his discourse as he officiated the wedding made up half of the article.
Thanks to the Web, newspapers have been able to compete with television and radio when reporting breaking news or reporting the latest scoop. Whether it involves a historical moment, the latest Hollywood gossip, or a tragic catastrophe, newspaper reporters no longer need to wait until the next morning to have their stories heard. In fact, the Web has aided journalists with their work by allowing them this convenience.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/25/nyregion/after-long-wait-same-sex-couples-marry-in-new-york.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-24-new-york-gay-marriage_n.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14270960
http://www.politickerny.com/2011/07/24/bloomberg-officiates-first-same-sex-marriage-by-a-nyc-mayor/
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