No ethics at network news
- From: Bill Crapkin <wcrapkin@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:51:14 -0700
Journalistic ethics? Not at the networks
By Scott D. Pierce
Deseret Morning News
Legitimate news organizations do not pay for interviews. That's
one of the cardinal rules of journalism, something every journalism
school drums into the brains of its graduates.
If I paid someone to talk to me for a story, I'd get fired.
Immediately. Even if I just handed them five bucks. And I'm the TV
critic, not Woodward or Bernstein.
Paying undermines the legitimacy and, potentially, the accuracy
of an interview. Offer me a million bucks to go on TV and tell my
story and I'll try to come up with something to make it worth your
while.
Paris Hilton didn't look particularly happy at the MTV Movie Awards on
June 3, and that was before she went to jail. (Kevork Djansezian,
Associated Press)
Kevork Djansezian, Associated Press
Paris Hilton didn't look particularly happy at the MTV Movie Awards on
June 3, and that was before she went to jail.
So if legitimate news organizations do not pay for interviews,
it logically follows that the news divisions at America's major
television networks are not legitimate news organizations. That
conclusion is inescapable.
The news broke last week that NBC was considering paying $1
million to secure Paris Hilton's first post-jail interview. Oh, the
network's news division made the same noises as do all their
counterparts, releasing a statement that "NBC News has not and will
not pay for an interview."
But there are a couple of ways for that statement to be true and
false at the same time. NBC News could license the use of Hilton's
photos or videos, thus paying the interviewee without technically
paying for the interview itself. Or another division of the company -
say, NBC Entertainment - could sign Hilton to a development deal,
giving her a million bucks to develop some sort of project (which may
or may not ever see the light of day).
Oh, and, coincidentally, she'd give that big interview to NBC
News.
NBC backed away from interviewing Hilton after this story was
first reported in the New York Post. But let's be clear about this -
this was not a one-time occurrence.
Just last week, NBC was hyping its "exclusive" interviews with
Princes William and Harry. Matt Lauer's chat with the British royals
was all over "Today" and filled an hourlong "Dateline" special. This
week, NBC is promoting Lauer's "exclusive" interview with the princes'
uncle, Earl Charles Spencer.
Does anyone seriously believe it's only a coincidence that NBC
paid $2.5 million to broadcast "Concert for Diana" on July 1 - with
Matt Lauer hosting? Yes, it's a benefit concert, but how does that
jibe with the "will not pay for an interview" standard?
It doesn't.
And do you think NBC gave away the advertising time on "Today"
and "Dateline"? Of course not. This was a for-profit enterprise all
the way.
NBC should not be singled out for this kind of unethical
activity, however. ABC was also bidding for the Hilton interview
(which ended up going to CNN). You may recall that ABC had an
"exclusive" interview with the widow of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve
Irwin's widow shortly after his death; she wasn't paid for the
interview, but she was paid (reportedly six figures) to license video
footage used during the broadcast of the interview.
Jessica Lynch (the Army private who was rescued from Iraqi
captors) was offered book and movie deals in return for an exclusive
interview with CBS News - deals with companies that shared ownership
with CBS, thus nominally circumventing the no-pay-for-interviews
standard.
And you could certainly argue that flying interview subjects
around the country and putting them up in luxurious hotels violates
the spirit, if not the letter, of the journalistic canon prohibiting
paying for interviews.
Fox News, for example, spent $14,000 for a swanky private jet to
fly disgraced former Speaker of the House Tom Delay from Texas to
Washington, D.C., to be interviewed on Fox News Sunday last October.
Which is pretty standard for all the networks.
I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, but
television news has been co-opted by the "Entertainment Tonight"
syndrome. It's all about the biggest stars - both the stars getting
interviewed and the stars doing the interviewing. It's not about news.
And if ethics are sacrificed in the pursuit of ratings, so be
it.
We need to keep that in mind when (or if) we tune in.
IT WOULD BE FUNNY if it weren't kind of sad, but the folks at
"E! News Daily" were touting their high ethics last week.
In an e-mail announcing that "Paris Hilton reaches out to Ryan
Seacrest for second part of exclusive call from jail" (really!), the
"E! News Daily" staff wanted us to know they're nothing like their
counterparts at NBC.
"The only cost incurred for this interview, during which Hilton
laid out to Seacrest her plans for after her release and beyond, were
the collect-call charges," we were informed via the e-mail.
Let's see, what cable network has paid Hilton boatloads of money
to air her reality show "The Simple Life"? Could it be - E!?
Of course it is. So for E! to be acting holier-than-NBC is
laughable.
Of course, it says something about the current state of network
television news that anyone at E! could think for even a moment that
they have the moral high ground over NBC when it comes to journalism
and ethics.
It's sort of sad, isn't it?
E-mail: pierce@xxxxxxxxxxx
.
- Prev by Date: TV critic says networks have no ethics
- Next by Date: Re: Maybe All Reality & Game Shows Should Be Only Online
- Previous by thread: TV critic says networks have no ethics
- Next by thread: "Samurai Jack" being made into movie
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
