What happened to “so what, who cares?”
Sure, I like my star-studded news. I might even glance over the US Weekly at the supermarket’s checkout line or watch Access Hollywood at home—although I prefer The Soup. But I have a limit. And that limit has been reached. In today’s entertainment section of the Chicago Tribune online, one headline ran:
“Angelina Jolie Gets on Full Mumbai Train.”
I could have sworn I was reading The Onion and I actually did a double take. The story, with absolutely no news value at all, was written by the Associated Press and picked up by assumingly esteemed newspapers such as the Washington Post, the Guardian, and of course the Chicago Tribune.
In one of the most eventful moments of the story, the author states that “In Mumbai on Monday, Jolie sporting a pale blue T-shirt and khaki trousers stood in a queue to purchase a ticket.”
I won’t declare the demise of newspapers and the deterioration of journalism, but I would love to know if editors still apply the “so what, who cares” rule. And what about the news values of proximity, consequence and human interest? The only news value this story might have is prominence, but that would be a very weak argument. And with 322 words, the story wasn’t short either; and even wasting the abundance of space online. What about 322 words on these guys?
2 Responses to “What happened to “so what, who cares?””
Comments
1 Kami Huyse 13 November 2006 @ 1:35 pm
News outlets pay lots of money to follow these stars, I guess someone was justifying their pay on a slow day for celeb watching. Kinda makes you wonder, “what were they thinking?” I hope this was in the online version and not the printed.
2 Marc 14 November 2006 @ 11:06 am
Sadly, you’re right. I didn’t see it in the print version, but again, even in the abundance of space online, it is wasting words.
And I never wonder about what anyone is thinking anymore. Not after this autumn.
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