Sunday, May 28, 2006

What is Journalism Coming to?

Okay. So I was sitting in my computer chair, fattened from a recent feast of grilled chicken, corn on the cob, and garlic bread, ready to sift through some recent news stories to find something to blog about, when this little gem jumped out of the Google News page and punched me in the face:








Just look at the title. I nearly spat my coffee all over the monitor. What kind of a story is that supposed to be? Hm, I bet it has a lot to do with the series of best-selling books by author J.K. Rowling. I mean, it has a picture of the actor who plays the title character... surely the article pertains to Harry Potter in some way. Too bad it has nothing to do with Harry Potter, except for the fact that "scientists" said constructing a cloak that works in the same way as Harry Potter's is "possible". You heard me. MAGIC is apparently real. That's what they're saying, according to this article, because Harry Potter's cloak works by MAGIC. It would have been easier if they'd just came out and said they could make the type of wishy-washy particles or whatever it is they need to make things invisible. Instead, they had to link it to Harry Potter. Journalists like whoever wrote this article (I refuse to check lest I throw up on the keyboard) make me so sick. He could have just as easily settled for a more accurate title, like "Invisibility possible, scientists say" or even "Invisibility not just fantasy, research shows". But no. What does he do? He shoves a bazillion-dollar book series into the title, because it draws people in. Ooh, it says "Harry Potter", I BETTER FUCKING CLICK. Harry Potter isn't even wearing the Invisibility Cloak in the picture, for Christ's sakes. Why do I pursue a career in journalism? It's obvious I'll only be working with pricks.

2 comments:

Angela said...

I took a few journalism courses before, and I'm not a real journalist obviously...but even I know a title like that is lame.

Thanks a lot for your comments and the blogroll addition! You are too kind. I baked you some cookies in return. Where do I send them to?! :)

a funny and talented journalist said...

Thanks :]
Unfortunately, due to my immense popularity, I cannot at this time divulge my mailing address, for fear of receiving anthrax. However, feel free to take pictures of the cookies and send them to my e-mail address: americatheblog@gmail.com

Keep writing and I'll keep reading,
ATB