Friday, April 10, 2009

LA Times and fake articles

In a move that shows a clear sign of the times in the newspaper industry (and journalism), the Los Angeles Times ran a front page ad for NBC’s new show "Southland" that resembled a story. The ad ran despite objections from Times’ Editor Russ Stanton.

Despite the outcry created (especially in journalism circles), Publisher Eddy Hartenstein ran the ad to "ensure that The Times could continue to operate."

According to one critic:

"It’s unwise and ethically problematic to have advertising morph into news content and style," said Bob Steele, a journalism values scholar at the Poynter Institute and a professor at DePauw University. "Each step may seem like a small one. But each time you cut a corner, you create weakness in the overall product."

Sounds about right. The weak economy can’t become an excuse to bend the rules, no matter how trivial they may seem.

In other news, 11thr.com’s blog, "the world beyond recruiting," highhandedly apprehended a serial burglar early this morning. The so-called, "Sticky Bandit," has terrorized Marina Del Rey residents for the past six months, robbing their homes in the middle of the night and leaving "scotch tape all over the place," according to one LAPD officer who wished to remain nameless. Although not an actual person, "the world beyond recruiting," is being labeled a hero by absolutely everybody in the Los Angeles area, after discovering the burglar stealing a stack of DVDs from the blog’s living room early this morning. Despite objections from the burglar that "these DVDs will be obsolete in a year anyway!" the blog knocked out the burglar with its imaginary fist and Tweeted authorities. :This is totally a real news story, and 11thr.com/blog is a true hero," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this morning, as he awarded 11thr.com/blog a key to the city and the "Los Angeles City Medal of Heroism," in a ceremony on the steps of City Hall. "It was totally awesome," continued Villaraigosa."

No word on the burglar’s current condition. 11thr.com/blog has been contacted by VH1 and is in talks with the former music network/current reality television network to develop a reality show based on the blog’s crimefighting skills.