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By the standards of history, the death of President Gerald Ford was hyped. Ford was never elected to the office and served for little more than half a term. Yet the first day after his death attracted saturation coverage: 44 minutes on the three networks combined. Compare that with 108 minutes for the entire week of mourning for two-term President Ronald Reagan in 2004--and the paltry 34 minutes for the death and burial of the infinitely more newsworthy Richard Nixon in 1994.

ABC's Dean Reynolds (subscription required) previewed the week's schedule--from his home near his golf course at Rancho Mirage to the Capitol Hill Rotunda to his Presidential Library in Grand Rapids. "The affection was mutual between Ford and his hometown," Reynolds found about the Michigan city's 13-term Congressman. As "first and foremost a man of the House," NBC's Andrea Mitchell told us, the former Minority Leader will lie in state at the US Capitol.

CBS' Bill Whitaker surveyed tributes from current President George Bush, Nancy Reagan, Dick Cheney, former President George Bush and Jimmy Carter. Perhaps Ford attracted so much coverage because he died in a traditionally light week of news, so his obits had little to compete with.

Andrew Tyndall 12/29/06 10:47:15 pm

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