odd time signatures - Latest Comments in Anatomy of a Smear Campaign

Re: Anatomy of a Smear Campaign

karoli — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:00:21 -0000

Hi Doc and thanks for the link back and comment.

I've seen Absence of Malice and agree -- it's a great movie on the subject. And even though my intellect tells me this is the way it has been since the beginning of time, my intuition tells me that there is a way to tell a story without skewing it or distorting it in this way.

A couple of years back I called the Star to see if they'd do a piece on our High School drumline, since they were sweeping their competitions and were on the fast track to win the championships in Southern California for the first time in their school history. The editor at the time asked me why on earth she would want to do a story on this drumline when Ventura County had truly fine, consistently winning drumlines (Newbury Park, Moorpark, etc).

I had to invent a "story" about how some of the kids on the line were "at risk" and how participating kept them from failing, dropping out, or turning to more destructive escapes from difficult home environments. Though there were a few that were in that category, most of the kids weren't. They did do the story, and did it from that angle which gave the kids and school some much-needed positive publicity, but the real story really wasn't told -- that a lot of good kids came together and worked hard to win. That story, without the 'at risk' angle, wasn't sexy enough for them.

Re: Anatomy of a Smear Campaign

Doc Searls — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:52:17 -0000

This is an awful story. It also isn't new. It's been part of Journalism as Usual for the duration.

The best piece ever written about this was "Toward a Journalism of Consciousness" by D. Patrick Miller, in The Sun, a quarter century ago. I'm sure it's never made it online, though it should.

The best movie on the same subject is Absence of Malice, with Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban and Wilford Brimley at his rusty crusty best. That one, at least, is available for renting.

Re: Anatomy of a Smear Campaign

kmilyun — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:38:26 -0000

"Is it any wonder that print newspapers and mainstream media are in a deep decline?"

Someday when things die down - I will go into more detail. But for now - no surprise here. It is sad that the media needs or think they need to - over dramatize, become over invasive, and mislead with the sensational headlines - to get ratings.

If the majority of people stopped watching or stopped reading you think they might change. Perhaps that is what is happening now - I know wishful thinking!

It is hard to define where the right to know ends and the right to privacy begins.