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Uncle Barky provokes debate about local TV news

Square Pegs

By Catherine Cuellar

Published: July 15, 2008

Our content partner Ed Bark has a fine report in the current issue of D CEO about local television reporters leaving journalism for P.R. The responses from journalists, publicists, and catty commenters are both fun and frightening.

Published: July 15, 2008

Comments

rhia

rhia Anonymous

"Because the moment we pitch a press release with no news in it is the moment we become a mockery.” Jeff Crilley (Quoted out of context - I'm not a reporter, so Pppffftt.)

So, (no aspersions at all towards you, Jeff) does that mean that all the coverage of Paris Hilton, Brangelina's twins, or the like mean that mainstream media has become a mockery? Or at best a pathetic farce? Many of us laity have understood it to be that way for many, many long years now.

To the victor go the spoils. In the modern field of viewers vs "mainstream" "news" "reporters", just who, precisely (outside of the ma$$ive money moguls), is actually victorious?

1 year, 3 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Jeremy Dunck

Jeremy Dunck Staff

@rhia Preaching to the choir.

The big question is how to inform the public and demand of the government that the public be heard? Journalism has had that as a mission, but investigative reporting is expensive, and not nearly as popular as boobs and fast cars.

Investigative reporting has fallen as the monopoly rents (such as classifieds and job listings) have gone to niche players online.

The revenue subsidies which used to make the cost of journalism remain profitable have declined, so there's this pressure to do more popular stuff more cheaply. Nothing is easier to get traffic on than "child shot in driveway" and "American Idol nip slip", et cetera, ad nauseum.

I make the shocking claim that not all news is journalism, and not all journalism is news. And that not all good journalism comes at the end of months of professional work. But a lot of it does.

Nobody becomes a reporter to get rich. But if you can't serve your mission, and you can't bring yourself to do yet another lurking-terror piece, why not go to PR, where you can get rich?

I also heard recently that investigative reporters are leaving for hedge funds for the same reasons. Pretty similar skill set, no audience, but big money at the end of it.

1 year, 3 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

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