Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 1, 1992 TAG: 9203040017
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: E-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ROBERT I. ALOTTA
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
I'm not talking about the federal deficit or nuclear weapons in the old Soviet Union. I'm not really concerned at this moment about rising unemployment or even the effect of the economy on the '92 presidential race. I'm talking about the real questions:
Do all the "bimbo of the month" candidates patronize the same beauty salon? I see strong similarities between the black roots in the peroxided blonde heads of Gennifer Flowers, Tai Collins and Donna Rice.
Are all blonde bombshells who kiss and tell unique only to Democratic presidential hopefuls? It would seem that way.
What makes actors and actresses experts on environmental and social issues? Why is Ted Danson an expert on wildlife preservation and not alcoholism? Why isn't Jane Fonda testifying on anorexia or bulimia instead of her myriad causes?
What medical specialty will William Kennedy Smith practice now that his trial is behind him?
These are just a few of the questions that confront and confound me. I really don't have time for anything else. And, it appears, neither does the media.
In the past few years, newspaper, radio and television mavens have tried to boost flagging circulation and ratings. For their model, they use the example of the highest-circulation print media in the world: the supermarket tabloids.
During the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, America was brought out of the closet and forced to confront its prurient proclivities. Was it necessary to know about "Long Dong Silver"? How could we sit there while those senatorial paragons of virtue grilled witnesses with language once heard in locker rooms and street corners?
The Thomas hearings paved the way for the William Kennedy Smith trial. Again, the American public stayed glued to their television sets and watched spellbound while attorneys pried and probed, massaged and caressed to get the "truth."
The recent disclosures by The Star that Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton has been promiscuous stirred the public - and the non-grocery-line press.
Once, journalists would have laughed at The Star's findings and gone about their business of reporting news. Even when the credibility of Gennifer Flowers was shown to be shaky at best, mainstream media outlets continued with the story.
What is happening to the media? Is liberty for the press becoming licentious? Has the media run amok?
To answer those questions, we must go back to Watergate, the major benchmark in the history of modern journalism. When The Washington Post's Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein won their Pulitzer Prize, thousands of journalists and "wannabes" began to emulate their approach. It was no longer necessary to name sources. A reporter could dub a fountainhead of information with a code name and get away with it.
The '80s were not a good time for the media. Newspapers closed, and others faced advertising and circulation losses. Network television, unable to cope with the inroads of cable channels, cut their news staffs and increased the cost of advertising time.
Owners of communication outlets began to look at the success of flash-trash: the supermarket tabloids. If those recycled trees (we really have problems calling them journals, papers or any other reputable name) could bring gold to Robert Maxwell and Rupert Murdock, why not to "respectable" outlets?
And so, gingerly at first, showcases of mainstream news emulated the tabloids. Television was first to try it out, and network and cable officials found they were not blowing smoke. Trash sold! Newspapers followed suit, and now we are faced with an avalanche of garbage in our living rooms and on our breakfast tables.
The situation is hopeless if journalists refuse to accept responsibility for their actions. They must begin to act like professionals - not just careerists. Journalism professionals are individuals who act responsibly in reporting the truth; careerists are looking for the "big story" that is going to make them world-famous - and very, very rich.
Journalists should not take the rap alone. Their activities are directed by their superiors; their superiors, by the owners. Just because The Star published Flowers' allegations against Clinton was no reason for more credible organizations to fall all over themselves to cover the story.
And, finally, we - the reading, listening and viewing public - must assume responsibility for our actions.
The information industry is composed of businesses that want to turn a profit. If you read a story you feel is irresponsible, write a letter to the editor. That's what those pages are supposed to contain: your opinion as a reader. They are not designed, as we are seeing in smaller communities, as public-relations outlets.
Television does not have a "letters to the editor" section, but station managers are alert to viewer complaints, especially around license-renewal time. Those managers are also vigilant to trends that may harm their advertising revenues.
A concerned public's response to media irresponsibility can be abused. This can happen when small groups begin major letter-writing campaigns to promote their own points of view and not those shared by a more general public. Perhaps that exploitation of the media will spur others of differing viewpoints to air their views. The clash of beliefs and the release of opinionated information helps each man, each woman shape a personal perspective. Public argument is good for the soul.
Now that I have that off my chest, I can worry about other important things. Will Warren Beatty marry Annette Bening now that they are parents? When will newspapers that don't accept cigarette advertising stop including them with the coupon supplements on Sundays? Will Barbara Walters and John Warner tie the knot? Will Liz stay married to her construction worker husband? Who is Oliver Stone and why is he saying all those nasty things? Inquiring minds want to know!
Robert I. Alotta is on the faculty of James Madison University in Harrisonburg.
by CNB