28 June 2007

a newsreader making news about what isn't news...

From Sydney Morning Herald (strangely, not really reported by the US media)
An American newsreader has refused to talk about Paris Hilton's release from jail - instead shredding, ripping up and attempting to set on fire copies of the story.

On MSNBC's Morning Joe program, anchor Mika Brzezinski lashed out at producers for continually choosing the Paris Hilton release story as the news bulletin's lead.

"No, I hate this story and I don't think it should be our lead ... My producer Andy Jones is not listening to me. He's put it as the lead," she said as she took a fellow anchor's cigarette lighter and tried to burn the script.

Blogs have simultaneously applauded and derided Brzezinski's on-air spat.

"I'm Argentinian, I live there and from here is very pathetic to see the coverage that Paris Hilton gets from the media. It's really embarrassing for all the Americans that you're more worried for Paris and not for the war in Iraq. It's a shame. That's why I agree with the journalist Mika Brzezinski," blogger Claudio said on eonline.

However, fellow blogger Candy said it wasn't Hilton's fault that she was receiving so much attention.

"Paris isn't putting all these pictures and comments about herself in magazines. It really isn't her fault so many sad journalists do not shut up about her! Give the girl a break and moan to the journalist!"



She has a point. The news should be newsworthy.

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One more work day before the weekend. Rob came around for dinner tonight of rare thick sirloin steak with mash potatoes and blanched broccolini.

2 comments:

Miss_K said...

I work at a city newspaper, and just last week our section editor got ripped apart by the editor-in-chief because the stories in Sunday's paper were "too depressing."

We've been instructed by our corporate offices to focus on more positive stories. Hence a story about a baseball player's home-run race instead of the 16 Americans killed in Iraq that day.

ACT said...

Sunday papers are usually full of fluff pieces in Australia. All the real news and in depth analysis occurs in the Saturday papers.

I guess news is what people want to read... or what the publisher wants... but censorship is another matter.

News about Paris Hilton on the other hand should just be banned.