Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock
Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. Newspapers are suffering because they’ve lost both anger and humor, Jimmy Breslin said in a Poynter interview in late July. My slight spin would be that we’re trying too hard to be nice.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette colleague Jennifer Hansen wrote a few Wednesdays ago (no free hyperlink available) a fun column — she generally writes serious essays about families — about how she tricks herself into cleaning house: Invite company over then rush the task! Yet a couple of weeks ago in a column Jennifer apologized to a professional house cleaner who claimed she had been hurt by the piece. My friend shouldn’t have to explain, if she made a reasonable attempt at clarity in the first place, and of course Jennifer did. Columnists need only worry about conveying what they intend to say.
ADG religion editor Nancy Jeffery penned a guest column for the Voices (op-ed) page that ran Saturday 7/31 discussing recent calls she’s gotten from readers wanting to know her religious affiliation and that of her fellow journalists. Nancy sees that both as a classification that serves no one but also she has at times told folks.
I e-mailed Nancy that these people are just baiting her. It’s “code.” They’re making a point, no matter how or if you answer. You can’t win, no matter what detail you give them. If you belong to their denomination, then how much do you participate. And if you’re constant, how sincere are you. Those callers who are fundamentally cynics will doubt all responses. Nancy e-mailed me back that she often but not always can create a constructive dialogue and calm those who just want to vent. Bless her, she’s got patience.
I have had similar phone calls and e-mails, too, in previous newsroom jobs, and have similar patience and listening skills to hear folks out. Now, though, I wonder if we’re accommodating too much. I’m neither mean nor petty so these are thoughts I likely won’t be acting on. But does it hurt journalism to play along?
The people who complain about us or to us are not so young that they do not know how newspapers function, the only valid excuse I can think of. If we as reporters make reasonable attempts at fairness, completeness and clarity, then we need explain nothing, just publish corrections as needed. (People who grew up with newspapers know well that columns and editorials need only be clear, that by their labels, format and page position they are opinion and not fact.) In this age of the Internet and cable TV, contrasting journalism sources are too readily available for these jerks to feign naivety any more.
Nancy’s response Monday calmed me to this reflection: Some July “bricks” commented on the agora, marketplace of ideas, rather of information, and that meshes with this. We of the legitimate news media have to sell our wares a bit stronger, to win legitimacy and chase out gossip and hate. Schmoozing is more effective than, well, brickbats. -30-
