Power of the Press
What makes a story newsworthy? Colbert I. King of the WashPost doesn't mince words and gets to the point: it's the editors. He also makes it clear that he'd prefer it if someone else (say, the readers) had more input.
Truthfully, the media isn't much different than law enforcement in that manner. The newpaper editor, like a beat cop, is making a decision that could have a big impact on society.
For a cop, it's the person they pulled over or stopped. If they feel like the person is suspicious, they can arrest them; if not, they can let them go. But if a cop is in a rotten mood or doesn't feel like dealing with mind-numbing paperwork, a person could be arrested or released based on nothing more than another human being's current emotional state. The person facing the cop- their life actually- is in the hands of the police officer.
For an editor, the story lives or dies based on their instinct and desire to pursue it. If a competing newspaper is already covering it, the editor may either feel like letting it go, or he/she may want to outd0 their counterpart. And even though King doesn't delve into it that much, things like race, class standing and celebrity status do play a part.
Of course, with law enforcement the immediate situation is usually a life-or-death one; and consulting a suspect is the last things I'd expect a polcie officer to do. But in the case of news editors, they may find out that it's more beneficial to them and the business to find out what their readers want instead of assuming that they already know.
UPDATE: Bloggers chat sue, newncpolitics, and soo doh nim give their take.
Truthfully, the media isn't much different than law enforcement in that manner. The newpaper editor, like a beat cop, is making a decision that could have a big impact on society.
For a cop, it's the person they pulled over or stopped. If they feel like the person is suspicious, they can arrest them; if not, they can let them go. But if a cop is in a rotten mood or doesn't feel like dealing with mind-numbing paperwork, a person could be arrested or released based on nothing more than another human being's current emotional state. The person facing the cop- their life actually- is in the hands of the police officer.
For an editor, the story lives or dies based on their instinct and desire to pursue it. If a competing newspaper is already covering it, the editor may either feel like letting it go, or he/she may want to outd0 their counterpart. And even though King doesn't delve into it that much, things like race, class standing and celebrity status do play a part.
Of course, with law enforcement the immediate situation is usually a life-or-death one; and consulting a suspect is the last things I'd expect a polcie officer to do. But in the case of news editors, they may find out that it's more beneficial to them and the business to find out what their readers want instead of assuming that they already know.
UPDATE: Bloggers chat sue, newncpolitics, and soo doh nim give their take.
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