This will probably be one of many posts expressing my disdain for the mainstream/tabloid/corporate media. It is a dangerous institution, and I hope it implodes on itself into the irrelevant, hollow, superficial, and asinine bits that it is. There are far too few real sources of news out there—most of which are not owned by some fat-cat CEO who quacks lies in his sleep. The fallen are too many. Take this article from the Wall Street Journal, for example, published one week after this horrid Op-Ed. WSJ’s new motto ought to be “Wall Street Journal: Tarnishing Journalism One Excruciatingly Dumb Article at a Time.” Someone should start a “Save Journalism” campaign; for the sake of human brain cells that are perishing.
You are absolutely right.
My blog focuses on the absurdities of TV news, but the pressures that made TV news people completely lose their minds are now deeply affecting print journalism.
Rupurt Murdoch pays billions for the WSJ , then feels he has to increase revenue to pay off the debt.
So what does he tell his folks to do? more ‘human interest, catchy, clever, edgy, eye grabbing” stuff.
Translated, that means stupid, sorry, pointless, exaggerated, silly stories.
Oh, like trying to tell readers that voters might choose McCain over Obama because he’s not as fit.
You can always fine one or two ‘experts’ desperate for the attention to back up your faulty premise.
and make no mistake…i see this everyday in TV….the story was written before any research was done. It was just a matter of filling in the blanks.
Mesmermedia:
I don’t know if you’ve ever watched Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, but several months ago he had a guest Matt Taibbi from The Rolling Stones Magazine on, and he had a great line about how reporting gets made. He was observing the post-debate spin rooms where campaign surrogates interview with reporters and feed them the news, lines, and “conventional wisdom.” Notice how every channel says a variation of the same thing? Same lines and catch phrases. The hollowness of the echo chamber is astounding. Anyway, Taibbi said, “They just pour that shit right into the trough and we reporters *he makes a nose dive motion* eat it all up.” (Watch the clip here —it takes place about 5 min and 20 sec into the segment).
Unfortunately, that is the big problem with journalism today both in print and television. Look at the sources. Journalists are supposed to independently investigate and probe, instead they get their lines (and news) from daily White House Press Conferences, campaign spokespersons, spin doctors, “experts” on the Administration’s payroll, and their “blackberry phonebook/email alerts” which consist of campaign/Administration insiders. The problem is the authority behind the news. It ceases to be news and becomes regurgitated propaganda.
Notice the timing of WSJ’s on Obama’s fitness linking it to celebrity obsession with weight—it was published right after McCain’s ad attacking Obama’s “celebrity” comparing him to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. I know tabloid news sells, and corporate media makes obscene profits (real journalists don’t make millions of dollars—only Bill O’Reilly, Keith Olbermann, and pundits of their ilk do). It is a shame that one of the most vital institutions in a democracy has deteriorated into “National Enquirer” standards.
Anyway, I ramble. As you can tell I can go on and on about the media. But make sure to leave a link to your blog. I’d be interested to read it.
The link to the Matt Taibbi clip didn’t show up in the comment above. Sorry about that. Here it is:
I would argue for a slight variation of the theme; the drive for profits leads to the decisions to follow tabloid style journalism, search for the lowest common denominator and fill your day with stories about missing children because it costs little more to produce than the cost of setting up a live shot and getting guests on set. No journalism required.
but the problem is that for virtually all of these organizations, profits and profit margins are declining.
that is leading to more and more cuts of reporters and resources.
part of the reason is clearly that there are so many other choices. but I’d argue the key reason is that most traditional media have done everything it can to make itself irrelevant and ridiculous.
anyway…my blog is
http://www.mesmermedia.wordpress.com