|
|
|
Confessions of an embittered, disillusioned reporter |
|
|
Vote!
RantRank: 67 - I guess so (35 votes)
|
Submitted by AngryJourno
|
You know what? Journalists think you're stupid. I can't speak for every country (and based on the insane-gibberish slang on some of these posts, at least a few of you "wanks" are from the UK or another of those Mr. Bean-sounding countries), but in the good old U.S. of A., every reporter in every newspaper thinks you're a gibbering simp. You know how I know? Because I'm a reporter.
For going on eight goddamned years, I've listened to editors whittle out every bit of individuality or expression in copy on the pretext that "our readers won't understand this." I've heard reporter after reporter use the term "Bubbas" for the people who obliged THEM by appearing in THEIR person-on-the-street quote. You're walking down the street and a reporter accosts you with a question? You're going to be called a "Bubba" later. The slang for a story that will be discussed the next day is a "Hey, Martha!"
Reporters are told to write at a third-grade level because they think you won't understand otherwise. When I started, it was a sixth-grade level.
First of all, you doctors and lawyers and manual laborers who just read a lot, you're not stupid. In fact, you're probably a lot smarter than most of these reporters at American newspapers if for no other reason than YOU'RE NOT A REPORTER AT AN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER!
Secondly, none of these assholes connect their disdain for their readers with the sorry state of American media. Oh, you treat your readers like morons? How's that working out for you?
I'm applying for a job with this one newspaper, a daily that decides ponderous "storyteller" copy is the key to success. And I have to write an essay as part of the application. I'm later told by the M.E. that my essay was good even though at the beginning she thought it was going to just be me pulling out every big word I knew.
I used the words "emote" and "intuit." I wouldn't call them big words. But this is the level of people you're dealing with. These are people who consider themselves both populist and smarter than everybody else.
Journalism is a draining, bitter job. How the hell do these people do it when they think their audience is too stupid to understand their pearls of wisdom?
No one has commented on this article. |
|
