How the news covers Friday the 13th

Anchors try to put a friendly spin on the year's worst holiday -- and just end up embarrassing themselves

Published May 13, 2011 5:14PM (EDT)

Friday the 13th on the news.
Friday the 13th on the news.

Friday the 13th is the one time of the year that everyone gets together, renounces their religions, and starts believing entirely in the power of luck for a day. It's true! Superstition trumps common sense on the 13th, and as someone who once got fired and evicted on one of these days, I'm more of a believer in its power than anyone. Still, I know how ridiculous it sounds to be scared of a day because of bad mojo. That's why it's always funny to watch news anchors try to cover Friday the 13th. Is it a holiday? Should they make fun of it? (Or is that just tempting the bad luck gods?)

We take a look at some of the more egregious examples of stations trying to make this non-story work below.

In 2009, Katie Couric did a short segment on Friggatriskaidekaphobia, a phobia of Friday the 13th, which raises the question: Why do we need a name for something everyone has?

Then this year, Jeff Glor repeated Katie's segment almost verbatim.

Also in 2009 was the amazing CBS exposé on the Friday the 13th Insane Clown Posse show. One of the most unintentionally funny segments in news history.

Other network news anchors took a different tack, asking if this could mean a bad day for the markets. But first: walking under a ladder!

 ABC  affiliates take a nontraditional route and go out to find some fun stuff to do on this bad luck holiday, because why not?

I'm starting to think the worst part of today is making it through corny TV spots.


By Drew Grant

Drew Grant is a staff writer for Salon. Follow her on Twitter at @videodrew.

MORE FROM Drew Grant


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Abc Katie Couric Media Criticism Nbc Television