Nancy Grace has her missing white girls. Anderson Cooper has Hurricane Katrina. Lou Dobbs has immigration. Chris Hansen has child predators. Katie Couric has colon cancer. And Sam Champion has global warming.
Those are the issues these journo types are building their brand on — and USA Today's Peter Johnson argues more and more media men and women are looking to "own" advocacy journalism like never before. Call it the Oprah effect. (Though you might get confused with the other Oprah effect: Getting movie stars to treat your decor like a trampoline.)
The latest example: ABC World News Tonight anchor Bob Woodruff's accounts of how he recovered from serious head injuries after a roadside bombing in Iraq, and how U.S. soldiers suffering from head trauma aren't faring as well because of inadequate government medical care.
Though, to be fair, it's not like Woodruff intended to own that story, galloping into the newsroom with the pitch. It sorta just fell into his temporal lobe.
It is fortunate that Bob Woodruff has the profile to draw attention to this SILENT EPIDEMIC. I was in a horrid car crash years ago. Coma for around 3 months, since then I've re-taught myself walk, talk, feed, dress myself as well as obtain three degrees (undergrad, masters + PhD). Prior to aquiring my brain injury had NO degree! Yes it took me brain injury to become academic ;-) I have assisted with the estabkishment of a community access center, a self help self advocay group, presented and publish several articles I have written to the government offering my servies to NO avail!! Any suggestions?!