Gag Order From Judge Is a Blindfold for TV

Camp O.J. II is up and running and the cameras are rolling. But the television media covering the sequel to the so-called trial of the century are all dressed up with little to show.

In sharp contrast to the criminal murder trial of O.J. Simpson, which was marked by a media frenzy of continuous TV and radio coverage, countless interviews and programs recounting and analyzing the day’s events, a gag order on Simpson’s civil trial is tying the hands of local and national TV news outlets.

This time around, there are no cameras in the courtroom, no tape-recordings of proceedings and no photographs of the participants in court.

The only visuals allowed from the courtroom will be artists’ sketches.

With these restrictions, instead of an onslaught of daily footage, interviews and spin control by attorneys, TV viewers will get the most basic type of journalism--a reporter looking into a camera and describing what happened inside Santa Monica Superior Court.

Even prospective jurors entering the court Wednesday realized how limited the coverage will be. Nodding toward the journalists clustered outside Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki’s courtroom, one scoffed to her friend: “Yesterday they were interviewing each other because they had no one else to talk to.”

No network anchors are being dispatched to Santa Monica--for now. Instead of team coverage employing reporters in and around the courthouse, most stations and networks are using only one reporter. Most of the updates will come during regularly scheduled newscasts and news breaks.

All-news KNX-AM (1070), which provided gavel-to-gavel coverage of the criminal trial, will broadcast regular updates, as will its rival station, KFWB-AM (980).

The more measured approach has resulted in innovative measures by TV news directors and executives who plan to use graphics, charts and footage of the criminal trial to supplement the descriptions.

“It’s much more challenging to make it a compelling TV story this time around,” said Bill Lord, news director of KNBC-TV Channel 4. “It’s still a big story. What makes this interesting is the same thing as before--the suspense as more and more is revealed in court.”

Fujisaki issued the gag order banning cameras and radio from the trial to prevent what he called a “media circus.” A number of critics said the criminal trial was affected by competitive, incessant media coverage while the presence of the camera inside the court affected the behavior of many of the participants, including Judge Lance A. Ito.

The only concessions to the press came from the 2nd District Court of Appeal, which ruled Tuesday on a news media appeal to Fujisaki’s order.

The appeals court said that a sketch artist can be allowed to draw anything in court except the jurors. The court also ordered the judge to permit a closed-circuit audio feed to a pressroom to allow reporters outside the courtroom to listen to the proceedings.

If Fujisaki decides to fight the court’s rulings, a hearing will be held Oct. 18.

The appeals court Tuesday temporarily lifted a provision banning witnesses from discussing the case with the press or in public. But the final decision on this matter is still pending.

The justices also lifted the gag order forbidding lawyers to discuss trial proceedings, although the justices said they needed to study the matter further. Despite the appellate intervention, lawyers for the plaintiffs Wednesday were wary of discussing anything on the record with the press, saying they wanted to examine the ruling closely and await a final decision.

Kelli Sager, attorney for the news media appealing Fujisaki’s order, said Wednesday: “There was concern that because of the negative reaction to the Simpson case, the judge had shut down all access to this trial. The appeals court was willing to come in and modify things that were basically denials of constitutional rights.

“The court’s ruling sends a message that they clearly have problems with his original order. They want him to vacate his original order, or come up with good reasons why he ruled the way he did.”

KNBC’s Lord said: “Talking to witnesses, having sketches and the audio feed will give us more flexibility. But it will not dramatically change our coverage.”

The lack of access to the courtroom is proving to be frustrating for news executives who say the Simpson saga has lost little of its allure, despite the ex-football star’s acquittals in the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Lyle Goldman. The stream of post-trial books and continual analysis of the case have not dulled the public’s appetite for details, they say.

“There’s a reason why all these O.J. books hit the best-seller list, said Larry Perret, news director for KCBS-TV Channel 2. “[The blackout will result in] inaccurate and speculative reporting. The tabloids and others will be searching frantically for stories.”

Still, some television executives expressed relief at the blackout.

Erik Soronson, executive vice president of Courtroom Television Network, the base of Court TV, said: “Covering O.J. was a mixed bag for us. We got a lot of sampling, but viewers got tired of it, and they didn’t like the verdict. We became a symbol of that, and they shot the messenger. If they allowed cameras in this courtroom, we would feel compelled to carry it. Some people would become addicted, while others would say, ‘Damn that Court TV!’ ”

Despite the gag order, syndicated daily TV news magazines said they will be giving viewers more than talking heads.

“On the big days, we will do team coverage,” said “Hard Copy” Executive Producer Lisa Gregorisch. “We’ll also have sidebars. We’ll have a daily O.J. rundown.”

Marc Rosenweig, vice president of programming and production, East Coast, for King World, the producers of “Inside Edition” and “American Journal,” said, “If anything, this blackout has strengthened our efforts.” Legal correspondent Star Jones will cover the trial for “Inside Edition,” while former Simpson jurors will discuss the trial on “American Journal.”