Celebrity death and the failures of journalism

The coverage of the death of actor Heath Ledger offers an almost textbook example of the failings of modern journalism.

I’m not talking about the out-of-proportion coverage or the obsession with celebrity and celebrity failings that drive stories like this. I’m talking about something more ingrained in the way we do our jobs these days, a methodology that contributes to the sloppy work of most journalists and helps explain why public opinion polls have consistently shown Americans to have little respect for the profession.

Ledger, one of the stars of “Brokeback Mountain,” died Tuesday. Initial “reports” were that the death was drug related and that he may have been found at a friend’s apartment. Later “reports” placed him at his own New York City residence. “Reports” said he called his latest girlfriend, that he overdosed, that he was a troubled soul — some of which has proven to be accurate, though most turned out to be nothing more than speculation. The stories — on television, in newspapers such as The New York Post and the New York Daily News — offered vague attributions like “detectives close to the investigation,” “law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity,” etc.
And that’s the crux of my criticism. Watching MSNBC this morning as a ran on the treadmill, I was struck by how much information was provided about Ledger’s death and how little of it was attributed. Reading the Post this morning was the same.
Given what I do for a living, I tend to be skeptical of the “sources say” construction — as I ask my reporters, “what sources?” Who are these people, why are they speaking anonymously and why are we letting them? Why should the reader believe they even exist?

Anonymous sources are sometimes necessary, such as when information that is important for the public good is disclosed by someone who might face retribution for revealing it. I think of whistle blowers whose jobs — or even lives — could be imperiled by their decisions to come forward and disclose safety hazards or public corruption. There are other instances in which quoting an anonymous source makes sense.

But a general prohibition against using anonymous sources is probably a good idea, because it forces news organizations to justify anonymity each time it comes up. And each case should be justified both internally and to the reader.

Anonymous sources have a long and mixed history, but I have the sense that they are being used to a greater degree these days and with less thought. The reason for this — or at least part of the reason — is the growing sense among news organizations that they always be first. It creates an imperative among reporters to sacrifice accuracy and responsibility, to do almost anything they need to do, quote anyone, offer anyone anonymity, in an effort to get the story before the competition, or , at the very least, not to be left behind in the race.

The fact is, journalists in general need to take a step back and start asking questions about what they do and why they do it and then incorporate those answers in to the way we do our jobs. It is our only hope if we are to regain the public trust that is necessary for us to play our role in the democratic process.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

A review of me?

I just came across this review of my chapbook, Suburban Pastoral. Not sure when it ran, not sure how he got his hands on it. But that’s quite OK with me.

Suburban Pastoral is a collection of poems by Hank Kalet, who spends most of eir time editing newspapers in the New Jersey area, along with writing columns for The Progressive Populist. This is a chapbook containing Kalet’s works over the last few years. Voices of Reason, the imprint under which Kalet released this chapbook, “is an arts collective that seeks to raise money for organizations in central New Jersey working to alleviate hunger and aid the homeless”. So, with a good cause in mind, this chapbook was released. The poetry is strong, with Kalet attempting different things with seemingly every one of the twenty-plus poems here. Like chapbooks from larger imprints, there is nothing on a page besides the title, page number, and the poem. I’m not sure how I feel about that. While it is nice to show a professional side to small press imprints, perhaps a more graphic interpretation of certain phrases or lines would make this chapbook all the more impressive. Regardless, the poems in this work are poignant and interesting, devoid of triteness. Kalet is a good poet, and while this issue is small, the fact that this is “Number 1” may give hope to those individuals that wish to see subsequent issues of Suburban Pastoral or works from artists and poets in the Dayton, New Jersey area. If poetry is your thing, send along a donation of Voices of Reason and I’m sure they will send whatever things are currently out by the imprint. Here’s to hoping that this provides a revenue stream for their efforts.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.