Oh, Law and Order.
Your Special Victims bring joy.
Heinous sex crime joy.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Tim Russert
Beacon of journalistic talent and integrity (and fellow son of Buffalo, NY) Tim Russert died today at 58.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25145431/
This, I believe, is an official harbinger of the end times of broadcast journalism. He was one of the last ones left, y'know? I never thought I'd feel this emotional about this sort of thing, but well...there ya go.
He was my parents' age. I never met him, but I always looked to him as a role model.
Tim, you'll be sorely missed.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25145431/
This, I believe, is an official harbinger of the end times of broadcast journalism. He was one of the last ones left, y'know? I never thought I'd feel this emotional about this sort of thing, but well...there ya go.
He was my parents' age. I never met him, but I always looked to him as a role model.
Tim, you'll be sorely missed.
Come, Mr. Taliban, Tally Me Banana
You've heard me rant about staying mindful of priorities and journalistic integrity, particularly since we've been sinking precious minutes of airtime to "Yep, she's still gone!" SadGrrl13 items. Case in point...
I was working on a story about this, but it got shot down:
Pakistan Angry as Strike by U.S. Kills 11 Soldiers
We're covering one missing girl ad nauseum, but apparently an international incident involving the loss of 11 Pakistani soldiers' lives during a fight against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan (remember 9/11? Yeah, remember how it had nothing to do with Iraq?) isn't as important.
We're spoonfeeding our viewers sensationalistic crap, and we're failing to do OUR JOBS as journalists. We as an industry are irresponsible and dangerous.
The news is broken, and we need to fix it.
I was working on a story about this, but it got shot down:
Pakistan Angry as Strike by U.S. Kills 11 Soldiers
We're covering one missing girl ad nauseum, but apparently an international incident involving the loss of 11 Pakistani soldiers' lives during a fight against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan (remember 9/11? Yeah, remember how it had nothing to do with Iraq?) isn't as important.
We're spoonfeeding our viewers sensationalistic crap, and we're failing to do OUR JOBS as journalists. We as an industry are irresponsible and dangerous.
The news is broken, and we need to fix it.
fighting the good fight
I don't see why it makes me a bad guy to insist that covering a story about ONE missing girl -- a story with NO NEW DEVELOPMENTS, mind you -- is less important than covering other topics that affect hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people.
I'm not trying to minimize the tragedy of SadGrrl13's disappearance, okay? It's sad. It has affected her and her family's lives indelibly. But why does it warrant round-the-clock coverage, while more important things get short shrift? My assertion has nothing to do with SadGrrl13 herself -- it has to do with HOW we report the freakin NEWS!
I mean, it's obvious. Ratings. It's sensational. I'm not an idiot, I know that's what's up. I'm just not afraid or ashamed to stand up and call WTEN on it. Whatever happened to real journalism? Can I just jump back in time to the '70's please?
Tension tension tension.
Ever feel like you're the only one who seems to get it? You're in the minority, or all alone, in defending principles and standing up for what SEEMS obvious. I feel like I'm having to hop on top of my chair and scream "The sky is blue!" while everyone else seems to willfully ignore what's right and insist that it's paisley. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Or Ibsen's Enemy of the People. (See, I read.)
I've fought for years to keep WTEN a news outlet to be proud of. It's my WHOLE LIFE. And now it feels like it's getting sucked into a vortex of stupidity.
I'm NOT gonna let this go.
I'm not trying to minimize the tragedy of SadGrrl13's disappearance, okay? It's sad. It has affected her and her family's lives indelibly. But why does it warrant round-the-clock coverage, while more important things get short shrift? My assertion has nothing to do with SadGrrl13 herself -- it has to do with HOW we report the freakin NEWS!
I mean, it's obvious. Ratings. It's sensational. I'm not an idiot, I know that's what's up. I'm just not afraid or ashamed to stand up and call WTEN on it. Whatever happened to real journalism? Can I just jump back in time to the '70's please?
Tension tension tension.
Ever feel like you're the only one who seems to get it? You're in the minority, or all alone, in defending principles and standing up for what SEEMS obvious. I feel like I'm having to hop on top of my chair and scream "The sky is blue!" while everyone else seems to willfully ignore what's right and insist that it's paisley. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Or Ibsen's Enemy of the People. (See, I read.)
I've fought for years to keep WTEN a news outlet to be proud of. It's my WHOLE LIFE. And now it feels like it's getting sucked into a vortex of stupidity.
I'm NOT gonna let this go.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
a haiku by Tyler Jackson
I thought it might rain.
Who's in your house with his knife?
It's me! Warm and dry.
Who's in your house with his knife?
It's me! Warm and dry.
Monday, June 9, 2008
All the news that's fit to print.
We truly are purveyors of the most relevant and newsworthy items around...
Attempted Sexual Contact
If we ran a news story every time I attempted sexual contact, it'd have to be an ongoing series with theme music and graphics.
Isn't this the kind of thing that belongs in the police reports? I guess when you've only got 800 people in your town, this kinda thing is big news.
Attempted Sexual Contact
If we ran a news story every time I attempted sexual contact, it'd have to be an ongoing series with theme music and graphics.
Isn't this the kind of thing that belongs in the police reports? I guess when you've only got 800 people in your town, this kinda thing is big news.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Remember when people had a stake in their country's wars?
Today, June 6th, 2008, is the 64th Anniversary of D-Day.
I can only imagine what it must've been like to cover this sort of thing...
And here's an obligatory link referencing legendary WWII war correspondent Ernie Pyle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Pyle
These are different times.
I can only imagine what it must've been like to cover this sort of thing...
And here's an obligatory link referencing legendary WWII war correspondent Ernie Pyle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Pyle
These are different times.
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