# examples of news stories that got totally obliterated by subsequent, BIGGER news stories **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208 "2011-05-08T23:28:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TexasDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f04885/32.png) [@TexasDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexasDriver)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/41 "2011-05-09T14:37:32Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Groucho Marx died only three days after Elvis and IMO _ought_ to have been the bigger story that wiped out the earlier one. But it didn’t happen that way. > > It was [the day after](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansett_Australia#Air_New_Zealand_merger_and_collapse); in fact Sept 12 Australian time is nearly 2 days after Sept 11 NY time. You beat me to this: [Elvis Aaron Presley](http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=837) died on 16 Aug 1977. [Julius (Groucho) Marx](http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=677) died on 19 Aug 1977. Not once have I ever heard, “Groucho Lives!” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/42 "2011-05-09T14:54:37Z")
The expected death of Sammy Davis Jr. was completely overshadowed by the mind boggling death of Jim Henson on the same day. I remember hearing “two celebrity greats died today.” followed by a report on Davis (Well, that was expected) and then Henson :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/43 "2011-05-09T15:10:04Z")
The 22 February Christchurch Earthquake was still getting big coverage here when, on 13 March, Japan saw their quake and raised them a tsunami, a volcanic eruption and a nuclear disaster. Every Australian journalist must have been on the next flight out of NZ. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/44 "2011-05-09T15:17:28Z")
Although not entirely eliminated, I think that much of the attention on the unrest in Libya was turned away by the earthquake in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/45 "2011-05-09T15:20:46Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Although not entirely eliminated, I think that much of the attention on the unrest in Libya was turned away by the earthquake in Japan. And both, for a while, by the Royal Wedding (as was the unrest in Syria). ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/46 "2011-05-09T15:35:51Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Concorde was re-certified to fly two days before 9/11. It never flew again. Uh, yes, it did. Air France and British Airways retired them in 2003. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/47 "2011-05-09T15:51:25Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley both died on the same day as Jack Kennedy. **Skald** , ya beat me to it! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/48 "2011-05-09T16:18:15Z")
Robert Mitchum died on July 1st, 1997, followed one day later by a certain Jimmy Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/49 "2011-05-09T16:20:12Z")
Ford’s pardon of Nixon buried Evel Kneivel’s jump over the canyon. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/50 "2011-05-09T16:30:02Z")
Nobody’s mentioned the most recent example: Osama’s death sure pushed William & Kate’s wedding off the front pages. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/51 "2011-05-09T16:35:48Z")
The death of Mary Jo Kopechne by a drunken U.S. Senator and brother of a former President was buried on the inside pages of newspapers (even in his home state of Massachusetts) due to events that were happening 230,000 miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/52 "2011-05-09T16:45:28Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Stop. No, I’d actually like to know, and for more than tabloid interest. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/53 "2011-05-09T16:46:45Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > And both, for a while, by the Royal Wedding (as was the unrest in Syria). I don’t think the unrest in Syria has ever received significant news coverage in the US. Which is a shame. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/54 "2011-05-09T17:07:00Z")
We tend to think of them as the same event, but I would say the Twin Towers falling totally overshadowed both the plane hitting the Pentagon and the crash of the 4th plane: I remember distinctly that the paper the next day had the Pentagon story on the second page, and I thought at the time that I could never have imagined “Plane Hits Pentagon” as a second page story. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/55 "2011-05-09T17:32:15Z")
Well, for weeks and weeks worth of news back ca. 1975, I don’t remember anything that was reported except for the fact that Francisco Franco was still dead. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/56 "2011-05-09T17:45:15Z")
The Feb. 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster at first took the focus off the impending invasion of Iraq. Soon after, the invasion eclipsed the shuttle. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/57 "2011-05-09T17:46:05Z")
On January 13, 1982 a Metro train derailed in a tunnel under Washington, D.C. killing 3 people. This would have been major, major news the next day except for the fact that 30 minutes earlier a Boeing Jet, Flight 90, took off from Washington’s National Airport and because of ice on its wings crashed into the 14th Street Bridge killing 78 people on the airplane and on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/58 "2011-05-09T17:46:31Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Well, for weeks and weeks worth of news back ca. 1975, I don’t remember anything that was reported except for the fact that Francisco Franco was still dead. I remember a Punch cartoon of the day, shows an angel handing St Peter a package… “It’s Franco’s liver. He’s arriving here in installments.” In fact, it’s a known political spinmster trick to try to time any really bad news release just in time to be overshadowed by the big news story about to break - i.e. an election, the Olympics, etc. Can’t think of an example off hand. (Except ddn’t someone get quoted saying on 9/11 “now would be a good time to release any bad news?”) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/59 "2011-05-09T17:46:43Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Well, for weeks and weeks worth of news back ca. 1975, I don’t remember anything that was reported except for the fact that Francisco Franco was still dead. This just in! Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead! ---
**Author:** ![Dave.B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9f8e36/32.png) [@Dave.B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave.B)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208/60 "2011-05-09T18:14:05Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Except ddn’t someone get quoted saying on 9/11 “now would be a good time to release any bad news?” Yes, Jo Moore, an aide to the then UK Secretary of State for Transport, Steven Byers: > **[Sept 11: 'a good day to bury bad news'](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1358985/Sept-11-a-good-day-to-bury-bad-news.html)** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-news-stories-that-got-totally-obliterated-by-subsequent-bigger-news-stories/581208.md?page=4)