The World is Talking. Global Politics

So David Lettermen listed the "Top Ten Signs Your Newspaper is in Trouble" on his show last night. I assume following this report. These things are usually funny because Letterman is a fairly good satirist and because jokes that cut to the heart of the matter in uncomfortable or biting ways are funny. Let's consider the list point by point (some more useful than others):

10) "Covers all the news that happens within one block of the office."

Or, rather, fails to do "shoe-leather" reporting in the community. Reporters who stick to the phone and the internet fail to really see a community.

9) "Today's exclusive: 'Nixon Dead!'"

How many times in the past month has your local paper done a retrospective? My question: No news that day? This is the kind of stuff you get when reporters sit at desks in offices instead of on stools at the corner diner.

8) "Reporter sent to jail for refusing to divulge a source...Oh, and he also killed a dude."

In other words: A reporter fighting for journalism's interpretation of the First Amendment is a hero no matter what the circumstances. It's time for journalists to understand that they have First Amendment rights because they are citizens, not because they are journalists. That word "press" refers to a machine, not a profession.

7) "All horoscopes: 'Now would be a good time to get out of the newspaper business."

Actually, no. Profit margins remain high--well over industrial norms. But how long can this last if, to sustain those margins, corporate owners ruin good journalism?

6) "Paper's motto: 'Suck It'"

It's called journalistic arrogance.

5) "Every 'hot gossip' item is about Jack Klugman."

Out of touch.

4) "Managing editor and guy who wheels around breakfast? Same guy."

I'm not sure what this means, but the image is funny :-)

3) "Under 'weather,' it just reads 'yes.'"

Lazy. And then there's the whole thing about a general lack of literacy in science and statistics among journalists. For an example, read any story that mentions a poll. 

2) "Instead of 'Garfield,' has a comic strip called 'Garfunkel.'"

Hmmmmm... perhaps he means the 60s generation is still running things? (Hey, that's my ge-ge-generation!)

1) "You endorsed Dennis Kucinich."

You are out of touch with political reality.

Tag: journalism
Tag: rhetoric