2008 Woodie Awards
A vacation from Paris
My View
Mick Swasko
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: Viewpoint
I am mad as hell, and I am not going to take it, anymore.
As an aspiring journalist, and someone who attempts to uphold and exemplify the precious standards of media responsibility, I could not be more upset or horrified.
I ask you, the public who so wholeheartedly trusts we, the media, to dig to the deepest depths of your hearts and souls to forgive the grave injustice that has occurred.
The Associated Press decided to not report on a story for a week.
I know you feel violated, as you should. Pertinent information has been purposely withheld, in what is one of the most extraordinary journalistic failures in the history of reporting.
For seven days, the AP decided it would take a sabbatical from reporting on Paris Hilton.
In an article that crossed the wires yesterday, the AP reported that it decided to do an experiment in which it would not report on Hilton to see what type of reaction the absence of her name in the news would produce.
What repugnant, irresponsible "professionals" would even toy with such a crackerjack idea? Apparently, one of the largest providers of editorial content to world news outlets.
I am not sure which part of the inside of me died more, the journalist or the citizen that depends upon the media to stay current on world events.
As a citizen, I immediately knew something was wrong.
There was a small itching at first, followed by a feeling that there was an emptiness inside of me that was growing.
The days went by, I looked at my calendar and realized the problem. There it was, Paris' birthday marked clearly in red ink on my Mary-Kate and Ashley calendar.
But where was the story?
Clearly Paris is throwing an outrageous party, and how will I continue to function if no one cares enough to file a story on who got rip roaring drunk and was tossed from the A-list party?
How am I supposed to stay current on which country Hilton is visiting to peddle her "smells like the divine perspiration of the most glorious angels" fragrance?
As an aspiring journalist, and someone who attempts to uphold and exemplify the precious standards of media responsibility, I could not be more upset or horrified.
I ask you, the public who so wholeheartedly trusts we, the media, to dig to the deepest depths of your hearts and souls to forgive the grave injustice that has occurred.
The Associated Press decided to not report on a story for a week.
I know you feel violated, as you should. Pertinent information has been purposely withheld, in what is one of the most extraordinary journalistic failures in the history of reporting.
For seven days, the AP decided it would take a sabbatical from reporting on Paris Hilton.
In an article that crossed the wires yesterday, the AP reported that it decided to do an experiment in which it would not report on Hilton to see what type of reaction the absence of her name in the news would produce.
What repugnant, irresponsible "professionals" would even toy with such a crackerjack idea? Apparently, one of the largest providers of editorial content to world news outlets.
I am not sure which part of the inside of me died more, the journalist or the citizen that depends upon the media to stay current on world events.
As a citizen, I immediately knew something was wrong.
There was a small itching at first, followed by a feeling that there was an emptiness inside of me that was growing.
The days went by, I looked at my calendar and realized the problem. There it was, Paris' birthday marked clearly in red ink on my Mary-Kate and Ashley calendar.
But where was the story?
Clearly Paris is throwing an outrageous party, and how will I continue to function if no one cares enough to file a story on who got rip roaring drunk and was tossed from the A-list party?
How am I supposed to stay current on which country Hilton is visiting to peddle her "smells like the divine perspiration of the most glorious angels" fragrance?
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