The fifth and final season of the HBO series The Wire depicts much of this, and gives the unaware an idea of how the news system works.
They will be disappointed to find out that it too, is a world of money and politics. Many are only concerned with how many readers they have and how much money they are making, as opposed to the responsibility they have to the people to bring them strong, reliable news that is both relevant and important, a pair that is sometimes hard to find having drinks together.
In the beginning of Episode 1, "More With Less", The Baltimore Sun City Editor Gus Haynes discusses with Bill Zorzi and Roger Twigg the recent buyouts, and the situation of experienced reporters being replaced by younger reporters who "can't write a lick." When Haynes goes inside, Twigg says to Zorzi, "Someday, I want to find out what it feels like to work for a real newspaper." Managing Editor Thomas Klebanow talks to the staff about their need to "do more with less." This is similar to what Brian Stelter from The New York Times described in our online class interview.
Haynes says to an associate, "You know what a healthy newsroom is? It's a magical place where people argue about everything all the time." I felt this to be a particularly important quote, because when the information we receive is controlled by few, the importance of news and the institution and responsibility of journalism is threatened, therefore we all suffer.
Scott Templeton is a journalist who is frustrated with his lack of recognition and what he perceives as a lack of respect from Haynes. He sees The Baltimore Sun as nothing more than a steppingstone to a major newspaper like The Washington Post or The New York Times. This frustration leads him to exaggerate and even make up stories, such as one he creates in Episode 2, "Unconfirmed Reports", about a young boy in a wheelchair named "E.J.", who was outside Camden Yards, unable to afford a ticket from the scalpers. Haynes questions the thin details that Templeton gives him, and begins to investigate him. When nothing can be found about the boy, Haynes confronts Templeton. When Executive Editor James C. Whiting III comes up and congratulates Templeton on the story, thus overruling Haynes questioning about the facts of the story.
In a meeting about the school system, Templeton says, "You don't need a lot of context to examine what goes on in one classroom," to which Haynes replies, "Oh really, I think you need a lot of context to seriously examine anything." When Executive Editor Whiting agrees with Templeton, Haynes argues that they are choosing between "addressing the problem or winning a prize."
I agree with Haynes' belief that much context is needed to completely analyze an issue. Many pieces of media can be watched by an unsuspecting viewer, who will not receive the message that the media is trying to give. Seeing only a sex scene from a movie may cause the viewer to see the entire film as indecent. However, if they were to see what led up to the sex scene, perhaps a wedding followed by a romantic candlelit dinner in paradise and then the sex scene, the same viewer may see it as beautiful.
In the last scene of Episode 2, Detective Jimmy McNulty makes a found dead body look like a murder scene in order to get more funding for the drug empire they are investigating. Templeton becomes wrapped up with a "serial killer" who does not exist. Eager for the attention and possible fame, Templeton goes along with the story, exaggerating information and even lying outright, though he is unaware that the story is being created and strung along by a few members of the police department itself.
This behavior and desire to be famous is not unrealistic, especially in recent times. People such as Jayson Blair from The New York Times, Stephen Glass from The New Republic and Janet Cooke from The Washington Post have all been found guilty of plagiarism, exaggerations and complete fabrications of stories.
This is one of the biggest problems in the newsroom today. Accuracy.
A once coveted quality, it has fallen by the wayside at times when it is all that is desired by the public. Pressure could lead to falsities, whether it is from outside sources such as an editor or boss, or pressures from within that can cause people to do things they might not ordinarily do.
The quest to stand in the almighty spotlight has hurt the true spirit and nature of journalism, and must be remedied if journalists hope to retain the trust of their readers and remind the readers that they are there to serve the people's interest.
