Is the newscaster celebrity undermining journalism’s credibility?: Vancouver Sun
What happens when serious journalists moonlight as celebrities? And what does it mean for the industry's credibility? These questions are at the heart of a recent Postmedia feature by Misty Harris published in the Vancouver Sun.
What happens when serious journalists moonlight as celebrities? And what does it mean for the industry's credibility? These questions are at the heart of a recent Postmedia feature by Misty Harris published in the Vancouver Sun.
The crossover trend between serious journalism and superficial entertainment, she writes, is nothing new, but it is more blatant than ever before.
She quotes Steven Miller, coordinator of undergraduate studies in journalism and media studies at Rutgers University:
"[The trend] is a horrible comment on our society, and on what people are willing to accept. Journalism is supposed to be serving the public to raise the level of intellectual discourse; it's not there to take it down to the lowest common denominator."
He adds:
"When you use a journalist for entertainment purposes, you're not only undermining the credibility of that person, but also of the entire news department. At 9 a.m., Anderson Cooper is Ellen DeGeneres; but at eight o'clock . he's supposed to be Walter Cronkite?"
For more on what Miller and others think, check out the article.
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