Shell-Shocked in New Orleans: A Competitive Press During a Bloody Season, January 1973.

In the midst of a violent winter in New Orleans, the city was held hostage for 36 hours on January 7 and 8, 1973, when a downtown hotel was set ablaze and shots began ringing out from the roof of the high-rise. New Orleans reporters, with memories of the graphic representation of a fire that occurred five weeks prior, began producing words and images that were utilized all over the country. The present research looks at New Orleans press coverage—in particular, newspaper coverage—through the lens of Vietnam-era coverage, which had pushed the envelope in its emphasis on violent content. The researcher finds that the New Orleans-produced content was certainly graphic and dramatic, but—rather than the result of economic stresses—was a human reaction to weeks of dramatic stories that had established emotional and graphic portrayals as a new norm in the New Orleans area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]