Does You Think The Media Has Changed?
June 8th, 2005 by Josh“The media. Lot of you out there probably never even ‘eard of the word.” - Ali G
When I was a kid I used to often think about becoming a journalist. Besides being a chef, journalism was always the thing that appealed to me the most. Something about the honesty, the respect, and of course the writing was appealing. Unfortunately these days journalism and the media seem to involve either blowdried hair, white teeth, and a vacant stare or worthless bloviating about one’s own importance in a antiquated political scene (while simultaneously betraying your country by leaking sensitive information about a CIA operative for political payback and then later insulting a 91-year-old man who had the courage to do the exact opposite) . Just check out Steven Colbert’s segments every night.
The Washington Post, like every other mainstream news source out there has decided to cover not the Downing Street memo, but the lack of coverage of the memo. Absurd.
John from Upon Further Review has some choice words for the media establishment
June 8th, 2005 at 1:31 pm
I think the Washington Post is, in fact, covering the story. The “lack of coverage” is just a hook to give the story currency. In the news business, you can’t report on a story that’s 2 weeks old without a hook like this. Further, the lack of coverage IS a story. The Post did a good job, IMO, of giving the basics of the Downing Street memo and also reporting on the fact that the story hasn’t caught on with the general public. But I think John Conyers is right in that this is a lot like Watergate. Gradually, as more pieces are revealed, people will start paying attention. The Post and other news outlets will have to use whatever means they can (including reporting on the lack of coverage) to keep this story alive.
BTW Josh, you would make a great journalist.
June 8th, 2005 at 2:13 pm
It’s just that generally the major point of most of the DSM articles has been lack of coverage, not the actual content of the memo. Yes the coverage angle is a hook. But the illegal activity that is spelled out by the memo is infinitely more important.
The job of the media is to take what’s important, and make it interesting. Not to take what is interesting and make it banal.
June 8th, 2005 at 10:34 pm
I was a television news producer for five years, including two years in one of the country’s largest markets. The following quote from your post is entirely accurate:
“Unfortunately these days journalism and the media seem to involve either blowdried hair, white teeth, and a vacant stare or worthless bloviating about one’s own importance”