What I really miss, though, is the intelligent conversations about things I care about. Yesterday a story was widely published about an apparent drunken driver in Mexico who plowed into a bike race and killed one person. The photo that ran (Credit: AP) is pretty graphic not to mention scary for a bicyclist.
Upon seeing the photo I tried to engage Andrew in a discussion about the ethical merits of publishing it. I identified stakeholders and questioned whether the greater good would have compelled me to publish it. It was a page right out of Chris Ison's Media Ethics. I don't think I realized it then, but it was probably the best class I took in college. It was a semester of thinking critically about something I love and figuring out how to be a careful practitioner of journalism.
I'm not sure the class ever touched upon the separation of news and sales, but I know it came up throughout my time in J-school. It's obvious to anybody with critical thinking skills that a news organization (a place where independence and the ability to question everyone without baggage are paramount) should separate its editorial work from its sales work. A reporter should never have to think twice about blasting a business for fear they'll pull their advertising. Let sales handle it.
Well, adulthood has taught me that it's not that cut and dry, especially online. In a small outfit, it's only a handful of people who work on a web page. That means the team is called upon to satisfy sales and news. It's a poor plan and a great way to quickly erode idealism. Holding fast to news values seems secondary to making sure major contracts aren't pulled. It's the definition of a conflict.
Welcome to the disillusionment of adulthood, I guess.
-This post brought to you by McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Nike
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