THE SPECTACLE OF THE MEDIA, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND O.J. SIMPSON

There are two camps in the aftermath of O.J. Simpson's arrest for the murder of his former wife and another man. One camp includes the millions of television viewers and newspaper and magazine readers who can't get enough of the story. The other camp is easily recognized by its gagging every time a headline or TV special report mentions the bizarre case.

The O.J. story isn't an American phenomenon. If folks in the United States are overwhelmed by media coverage, they should look to Australia, Japan and South America, where the football star turned good-guy actor turned alleged murderer has become a cult figure, and where coverage is nonstop. Even soccer-crazy Brazil had to struggle with coverage of Simpson's preliminary hearing while their heroes in shorts were battling for national honor.

Now the airwaves and newsprint are full of self-serious debates about whether or not the media -- a broad, easy-to-hit target -- have been excessive in their coverage of the Simpson story. It is a discussion that tends to fuel both camps. Those who can't get enough get more, and those who blanch every time they hear or read about O.J. can cite the debate as further proof they are right.

Interestingly, the news media are at the center of both the coverage and the subsequent debates. Without news coverage, there would have been no argument about the merits of the media's handling of the story. And without the media there would be no way to express a viewpoint about the case. Curious, isn't it?

News providers, though, are a simple lot. They simply try to give consumers what they want. Television network executives learned quickly that viewers wanted as much about the Simpson case as they possibly could deliver. ABC got the message when it tried to take the high road and deliver regular programing during the preliminary hearing. Ratings plummeted.

In the end, the status of media coverage of the Simpson case or any other content is a creature not of the editors and programmers, but of the readers and viewers. Those who want the information can read the story or stay glued to the TV. Those who don't can turn the page or flip the channel.