Extra! Extra! Puppies Need More Love!
I really shouldn't publicly criticize the San Francisco Chronicle, as I'm trying to write more articles for them and all, but lordy they drive me nuts! I believe the job of a newspaper is not only to report the news in an unbiased manner, but also to set the topics and tone of discussion for the community it represents.
The Chronicle's problem is that it consistently and obviously panders to its readership rather than enlightens them.
This weekend's soft-focus news story was called "The Anguish of Stillbirth." Though the piece is chock full of facts and issues about the medical reporting and research problems associated with stillbirth, the angle of the story is "MY BABY IS DEAD!!!"
At least that story was in the Sunday Magazine. Not so with "Alicia's Story," a.k.a. "INNOCENT GIRL HAS CANCER!!!" This ongoing story is now on the 16th part of the series, and it doesn't have anything to do with science or medicine or any type of news whatsoever. It's a pure, unadulterated tear-jerker. It makes you wonder why they've run many of the parts (with photos) on the front page of the paper.
Another was the fabulous STOP THE SUICIDES!!! series about the Golden Gate Bridge, which they actually named "Lethal Beauty."
The SF Weekly busted the Chronicle on a similar note a couple years back. They counted 30 animal stories printed within two months- some of them page one features.
But the people love this stuff. Love it!! How do I know this? Because the Chron prints hundreds of letters to the editor about the stories they hype in the first place. And if there are too many to print, they'll tell you exactly how many there were and point you to the website, where you can look for the letter you wrote saying you knew someone with cancer too!
**
This paper should have better reporting on gender politics. It should have better reporting on the realities of outsourcing to India. It should have better reporting on immigrants being deported thanks to the Patriot Act. It should have better reporting on the environment. It should have better reporting on urban development. It should have better reporting on biotech.
There are plenty of places in a newspaper to print articles on culture and other fluff (you know, the kind of articles I write), but I find it embarrassing that my newspaper prints news disguised as sappy fluff and sappy fluff portrayed as news. People read the New York Times because it is important, not because it makes them cry. People will read the Chronicle more if it reports and presents news in a more mature fashion.
And speaking of fashion, I've got to go write an article...
The Chronicle's problem is that it consistently and obviously panders to its readership rather than enlightens them.
This weekend's soft-focus news story was called "The Anguish of Stillbirth." Though the piece is chock full of facts and issues about the medical reporting and research problems associated with stillbirth, the angle of the story is "MY BABY IS DEAD!!!"
At least that story was in the Sunday Magazine. Not so with "Alicia's Story," a.k.a. "INNOCENT GIRL HAS CANCER!!!" This ongoing story is now on the 16th part of the series, and it doesn't have anything to do with science or medicine or any type of news whatsoever. It's a pure, unadulterated tear-jerker. It makes you wonder why they've run many of the parts (with photos) on the front page of the paper.
Another was the fabulous STOP THE SUICIDES!!! series about the Golden Gate Bridge, which they actually named "Lethal Beauty."
The SF Weekly busted the Chronicle on a similar note a couple years back. They counted 30 animal stories printed within two months- some of them page one features.
But the people love this stuff. Love it!! How do I know this? Because the Chron prints hundreds of letters to the editor about the stories they hype in the first place. And if there are too many to print, they'll tell you exactly how many there were and point you to the website, where you can look for the letter you wrote saying you knew someone with cancer too!
**
This paper should have better reporting on gender politics. It should have better reporting on the realities of outsourcing to India. It should have better reporting on immigrants being deported thanks to the Patriot Act. It should have better reporting on the environment. It should have better reporting on urban development. It should have better reporting on biotech.
There are plenty of places in a newspaper to print articles on culture and other fluff (you know, the kind of articles I write), but I find it embarrassing that my newspaper prints news disguised as sappy fluff and sappy fluff portrayed as news. People read the New York Times because it is important, not because it makes them cry. People will read the Chronicle more if it reports and presents news in a more mature fashion.
And speaking of fashion, I've got to go write an article...
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