THE MEDIA AND COMPLEX NEWS STORIES

Why the News Media
Took so Long to Focus
on the Savings and Loan
and BCCI Crises

By David McKean
Senior Fellow

Based on a conference held on May 29, 1992
Sponsored by The Annenberg Washington Program

Contents

Preface
Introduction
Background: Investigating BCCI and Savings and Loan Fraud
Institutional Obstacles
Cultural Barriers
Conclusion
Excerpt from Media Circus: The Trouble with America's Newspapers by Howard Kurtz

About the Author
David McKean was recently a Senior Fellow of The Annenberg Washington Program responsible for coordinating the Program's work in Communications, the U.S. Political Process, and the Legal System. McKean served as Legislative Assistant to Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), where he analyzed, researched, and drafted legislation on foreign policy, banking, judiciary, and narcotics policy issues. Most recently, McKean served as Investigative Counsel to Senator Kerry in the investigation of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). McKean is currently writing a biography of Clark Clifford to be published by Little Brown in 1994. He received his J.D. from Duke University, his M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and his B.A. from Harvard University.

The author would like to thank James McBain, a research assistant with The Annenberg Washington Program, for his assistance with the report.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of The Annenberg Washington Program in Communications Policy Studies of Northwestern University.

Copyright 1993 by The Annenberg Washington Program in Communications Policy Studies of Northwestern University.

Permission is granted for the not-for-profit reproduction or distribution of multiple copies of this report or portions thereof, provided that (1) proper copyright notice is affixed to each copy; and (2) no alterations are made to the content of any file. The Annenberg Washington Program would appreciate notice of such use.

Recommended citation
David McKean, Why the News Media Took so Long to Focus on the Savings and Loan and BCCI Crises (Washington, D.C.: The Annenberg Washington Program in Communications Policy Studies of Northwestern University, 1993).

Excerpts from Media Circus by Howard Kurtz. Copyright (c) 1993 by Howard Kurtz. Reprinted by permission of Times Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

The Annenberg Washington Program
The Willard Office Building
1455 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-1008
Telephone: (202) 393-7100
Fax: (202) 638-2745
TDD: (202) 393-4121
email: awp@nwu.edu