Are your eyes tired?
News reports in recent weeks have told us that "all eyes are on" the White House, Donald Trump, the consumer price index, Iowa Republicans, the coronation of King Charles, the latest inflation report, district attorneys in Manhattan and Atlanta, Kentucky's November elections and bald eagles at Dayton's Carillon Park.
Don't blink or you'll miss pronouncements that "all eyes are on" House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, President Joe Biden, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Sen. Mitch McConnell or Vice President Kamala Harris in wake of questions about President Biden's "ability to carry out a second term."
Use of the cliché — shorthand for saying that many people are paying close attention to something — is out of control by reporters, editors, anchors and producers in broadcast, print and online. The biggest offender is ABC's Good Morning America, which has used the tired phrase four times in the last two days, and 11 times in the past six weeks!
"ALL EYES ON NEW INFLATION REPORT" said the on-screen graphic Tuesday during a story from Stephanie Ramos. On Wednesday it was "ALL EYES ON THE ECONOMY" with all three anchors — George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan and Rebecca Jarvis — saying the phrase during the show when talking about the Federal Reserve board meeting to discuss raising interest rates.
I understand the crucial role of the Federal Reserve System in our economy. But no matter how important the issue or event, not everyone will pay attention to it. Go ask 10 people on Fountain Square if they're fixated on the Fed decision today. Most won't be.
It's an idiotic idiom.
The phrase caught my eye when Good Morning America used it four times in two days covering the coronation of King Charles.
Reporting from England on Thursday, May 4, before the coronation of King Charles, Lara Spencer said that "all eyes will be on the future monarch … The world will be watching the next king and queen be crowned, but all eyes will be on the littlest participants, the children of the coronation." Minutes later, ABC News "royal contributor" Victoria Murphy said that "all eyes" will be on Prince George, the new king's grandson. The next day, reporter Maggie Rulli told ABC viewers that "all eyes will be on Charles and Camilla tomorrow."
So should we be watching the king or his grandkids?
"ALL EYES ON INFLATION" was the on-screen text May 10 for a report by ABC's Rebecca Jarvis. For her June 2 story, the on-screen text read "ALL EYES ON THE JOB REPORT." And on May 13, Whit Johnson told GMA Weekend viewers that "all eyes" were on Republican presidential hopefuls campaigning in Iowa.
Jeepers, creepers! Where'd you get all those peepers?
National Public Radio announced May 8 that "all eyes will be on the White House Tuesday when President Biden meets with Congressional leaders" to negotiate the debt ceiling. The Hamilton Journal-News on June 4 published a headline in capital letters, "ALL EYES ON EAGLES," with a photo of Jim Weller of Dayton's Eastwood Eagle Watchers giving a presentation on bald eagles residing in Dayton's Carillon Historical Park.
The lazy lexicon has been used for decades.
"All Eyes on Reagan Policy" declared a 1980 Washington Post headline on a story about President-elect Ronald Reagan's policy on Vietnam.
A preview for a 1994 Time magazine profile of Hillary Clinton described it as "All Eyes on Hillary." The AZ Central website and Politico used the cliché for Hillary Clinton stories in 2014; NBC News did the same in 2015; and likewise The Guardian in 2017.
Fox News Channel has said that "all eyes are on" Donald Trump (2017), Mitch McConnell (2018) and Ron DeSantis (2021). ABC News last year said that "all eyes are on" Elizabeth Warren in March and Joe Biden in July.
When Barack Obama was preparing to debate Hillary Clinton in April 2007, veteran NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell reported that "all eyes are on the man now challenging Hillary Clinton for the lead — a relative newcomer — Barack Obama."
NPR's All Things Considered declared in 2008 that "All Eyes Are on Ohio, Texas Primaries," as Obama and Clinton competed for the Democratic presidential nomination. NPR's Morning Edition told listeners that "all eyes" were on President Obama and world leaders at the 2014 Climate Change summit, and on Hillary Clinton before her Democratic National Convention acceptance speech in 2016.
The Ohio public radio Statehouse News Bureau reported in March last year "All eyes on the Ohio Supreme Court as it looks at the fourth set of legislative maps" as Republicans tweaked district boundaries rejected by the high court, while WHIO-TV said in October "All eyes on fiery Ohio Senate race between Tim Ryan, J.D. Vance."
In the 1950s, comedian bandleader Spike Jones made fun of the phrase when a performance of the instrumental "Dance of the Hours" morphed into a report from the Indianapolis 500 by his vocalist Doodles Weaver. "(Car) No. 13 has set a record … Every eye is glued on that car. It looks very funny with all those eyes glued onto it!"
Yeah, that's how silly it is.
Keep an eye out for sports reports, too. "All eyes on QB Joe Burrow at LSU camp" reported Baton Rouge Fox affiliate WVUE-TV in 2018. When he turned pro, WCPO-TV claimed that "All eyes on Joe Burrow at Bengals training camp" his rookie year in 2020.
The CollegeFootballNetwork.com declared on March 8 that "All Eyes on Ohio State Offense as Buckeyes Begin Spring Practice," with the competition to replace quarterback C.J. Stroud.
On baseball's opening day on March 30, CBS Sports said all eyes are on Los Angeles Angels' star Shohei Ohtani, while Fox Sports said that same day "all eyes are on Aaron Judge," the New York Yankees slugger.
Do you think anyone attending Cincinnati's Opening Day parade on March 30, or the Reds-Pirates game at Great American Ball Park, had their eyes (or minds) on Judge or Ohtani? Beware the eyes of March!
Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy wrote during spring training in 2015 that "all eyes are on Joey Votto to see if he is fully recovered" from an injury. Votto again this year is trying to recover from an injury, but CBS Sports said on June 1 that "All eyes on Elly De La Cruz" the Reds electrifying rookie.
I'm sure some sports reporter will be tempted to say that "all eyes at Great American Ball Park" are on De La Cruz when he steps to home plate. That's not true. During every minute of every game, how many of those eyes in GABP are at concession stands or in the restrooms?
So I implore my fellow journalists — even those who haven't laid eyes on this story — to give "all eyes" a rest. Retire this silly, inaccurate phase. Permanently.
Because when it comes to the worst of clichés, the eyes have it.
