1. CNN.com: "Source: Spitzer 'cannot hold on to his job'." The article is framed around the premise that that Spitzer has no choice in resigning, and goes on to project that, following Spitzer's resignation, Lt. Gov. David Paterson "would become the state's first black governor and the 4th in U.S. history." Spitzer has not been charged with a crime, however; the article explains that calls for his resignation, and perhaps impeachment, are centered around "what's right and wrong in moving this government forward." Throughout the article, the sex worker in question is only referred to as "Kristen," a "pretty and she is quote several times in broken conversation stating that she knew what her purpose for meeting with Spitzer was. At no point does the article invoke the issue of sex rings, or the question of legality/morality in exploiting sex workers; it only accuses Spitzer of being hypocritical in his previous attempts to prosecute prostitution rings.
2. FoxNews.com: "New York Republicans Demand Eliot Spitzer's Resignation With Threat of Impeachment." This article is very similar to the CNN article- detailing Spitzer's activities, the fact that he was caught as "Kristen" crossed state boundaries, and the calls for his resignation. This article does, however, comment on the fact that Spitzer was known as the "Sheriff of Wall Street," named by Time Magazine as "Crusader of the Year," and that he is a "square-jaw graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law" who was "sometimes mentioned as a potential presidential candidate." This reinforces the framing of the story around Spitzer, his character and his position, rather than around the issue of sex rings. It also fails to mention that Gov. David Paterson would be the state's first black governor.
3. NYTimes: "State in Limbo Awaiting Word on Spitzer." The article begins by introducing Gov. David Paterson, who "was in limbo on Tuesday afternoon as he and the rest of the state awaited word on whether Gov. Eliot Spitzer would resign." "No one has talked to me about his resignation and no one has talked to me about a transition," he was quote as saying. The article also details Assemblyman James Tedisco's move to impeach Spitzer if the governor did not step down with 48 hours. On several occasions, the article mentions the fact that Spitzer lives in an apartment on Fifth Avenue, a symbol of wealth in New York. This is the closest hint in all three articles about the significance of wealth in the exploitation of vulnerable sex-workers.
4. Feministing.com: "Politicians and Prostitutes: the Real Victims of Public Sex Shamings." Blogger 'Samhita' raises the issue that seems to be missing from all the mainstream-media articles: the problem of "hyper-masculinity" that comes out of the aggressive framing of political power, and the fact that, while Spitzer will not get prosecuted, there is a good chance "Kristen" will. "I think it tells a biggesr story of patriarchy, heterosexuality, legalization of sex work and the ethical treatment of sex workers," writes Samhita. While she does not believe that either should be prosecuted (in fact, Samhita seems to believe we should legalize sex work), she does believe this is an opportunity to "talk about the rights and conditions of sex workers."
My question is, who is 'we', though? The media is certainly not talking about this aspect of the Spitzer scandal, and I'm not sure that they will. As Samhita states, "Spitzer may get a slap n the wrist, but sex workers nation-wide will contiue to be subjected to harsh criminal proceedings, high incarceration rates, drug use, violence, lack of health-care and not protection from violent, retaliatory pimps." Will the media cover "the bigger story of the horrid treatment of sex workers by the criminal justice system"? If it doesn't, who will spark the conversation?
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