The Great Divide
Oct 27th, 2006 at 9:04 am by Susie
The question for me, I suppose, is why anyone is surprised about the media treatment of Michael J. Fox.
The job of a good corporate journalist is no longer to reveal; it is to scold. Journalists no longer aim their slingshots at giants; instead, they level rocket launchers at those who are seen as threatening the corporate status quo. Public interest has nothing to do with their self-righteousness. Perky Katie Couric gets to furrow her brow and play reporter in this “compelling” interview because, well, it’s about her. It’s about proving how tough she is, how aggressive. Never mind that her approach is totally inappropriate to the subject, or that she will never again play the bulldog role when it really matters.
It’s about the product. And when Katie’s gone, someone quite similar will replace her.
In the past year, we’ve seen a few journalists show a flash of decency, people who leaped that Great Media Divide and actually connected their work with the effect on real, live human beings. The way Anderson Cooper and yes, Joe Scarborough covered Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath was inspiring, much as Keith Olbermann’s “special commentaries” on the encroachment of the Bush regime on our liberties continues to hearten us.
But if you’re looking to see a trend, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
