Media
Okay, so, like, I get it: The blogosphere won its battle with journalism. Accuracy, verification, thoughtful argument? They lose to the collective desire for instant gratification.
Hunter-ed Down: CNN Brings First Person Reporting to a New Low
And though this does piss off the self-righteous, note taking, transcribing, inefficient scribe in me, I can live with (and hope to profit off of) it. This is the world we live in. And these are the hands we’re given.
Still, does this whole redefinition of media thing really have to come with so much in the way of first-person indulgence? I mean, look, I know: It’s all about DIY (I get it), the Democratization of information (I GET it), taking Martin Luther to the Network news (I GET IT). But when its all delivered in the key of I, do the egos and/or issues of the news agent not get in the way of the story that their trying to tell? Yup. It does. And it seems to be rubbing off on the supposed higher-standards news organizations.
Take this recent CNN blog entry. Here, reporter Jim Boulden injects not only the first person but, seemingly excused from maintaining objective distance by the format of his effort, also his own son into his coverage. “For the past two years, I have been involved in CNN’s coverage of Autism Month,” he writes. “My own 14-year-old adopted son appeared in last year’s coverage as he and I talked about his struggles with autism and the strain on our family and on his ability to get a good education.” Granted, thanks to his personal experience, Boulden is no doubt privy to details that might be harder for another, more distanced reporter to be able to relate to. And this no doubt makes Boulden an excellent subject for an interview. But, being this close to a story’s proceedings, while convenient, no doubt comes with a hefty amount of baggage. Can Boulden accurately report on his child’s education without letting his personal feelings about whatever his family has gone through get in the way? Maybe he can. And it might make a nice little documentary. But to have his work in regard to Autism connected with what is purported to be a news organization is a great example of what journalists used to call a conflict of interest. ‘Course the first person isn’t always a sign of shoddy journalism. But the better examples of good first person reporting are otherwise problematic, even if they are brilliant examples of clever writing.
Unaffiliated bloggers are bound by no such set of rules — or, seemingly, any obligation to write well. Nor are they likely to give a shit about when, where, or how they use the first person. Sometimes, the stuff is clear opinion –and, just as room has been made for such contributions on the OpEd pages of so many newspapers, it should be welcomed in this newmediasphere. Sometimes, it’s bunk masquerading as real reporting. And that’s when we should be careful. At least, that’s what I think.
Comments
2 Comments
Is there really anything through which emotion and personal opinion does not permeate these days? In Communication studies we call it ‘perception’-the filter we carry around with us through which we automatically pass everything we hear, and say. This problem is becoming more prevalent, mostly due in part to the shift of the entire country towards me, myself, and I.
but of course, this is just personal opinion.
[...] Kelly: Is there really anything through which emotion and personal opinion does not permeate these days? In… [...]
Add a Comment