Yesterday, Seth Godin discussed the inherent tendency for media to sell drama and not just report on the news. John Robinson, of the News and Record Editor, seemed to agree with Seth’s post and stated there is nothing wrong with the media selling drama. Here is a response from a different career journalist which I feel more accurately discusses this issue:

“Actually, I have no problems with the media depicting “drama”: After all, much of life is a drama. But many outlets do it badly.

But I don’t agree with (Seth) that it’s drama that the media are trying to sell. I think the media (let’s assume we mean most television, and big newspapers, magazines and Web sites by “the media”) are largely selling themselves. The reporters and anchors don’t just report the stories anymore; they inject themselves into the story, either by putting on sweats to shoot hoops with Mark Cuban or offering their unsolicited and unwarranted opinions about their subjects. Fox “news” actually devotes a segment on each night’s program to “American Idol.” Weather forecasters needn’t tell us that warm is good and cold is bad; we can decide that for ourselves.

The other disturbing trend I see is the substitution of ’tude for substance. It seems every reporter and headline writer, especially in major newspapers, but also on TV, has to exude that ’tude, that smarminess, that “wink-wink, aren’t-we-all-so-cool? attitude” rather than just report the news.

One recent example: This week The Washington Post did a big Metro section piece on this chain of discos that encourage parents to bring their babies and toddlers. One just opened in Washington. Again, the story wreaked of that smarminess without casting even the appearance of a skeptical or questioning nature: Is it good for infants to be subjected to loud music and bright flashing lights for hours, just so their parents can have a good time? What about all the alcohol vapors these poor children are inhaling, damaging their nervous systems for life? Couldn’t that reporter have talked to at least one child development specialist, psychologist or physician to get anything but a “wow, isn’t this just the greatest thing since sliced bread?” angle for the story? Apparently not. Pretty pathetic for the great American daily that just won six Pulitzers (not that Pulitzers necessarily indicate much merit).”