Interviewing Alex Jones on TV is bad journalism

[Enrique]

entertaining, yes, but bad.

I'm guessing that any news program could have conducted the same interview. "Scoring" an interview with Jones is probably as simple as calling him on the phone. And it would have been just as crazy, and the program would have gotten just as much attention as Morgan got. Imagine Wolf Blitzer interviewing Jones.

But all other news programs pass on interviewing clowns on serious topics. But Piers Morgan doesn't pass, which makes him a bad journalist.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. There is no such thing as journalism. Morgan is a media personality, nothing more

Its all about ratings, and Jones made for good ratings.

In the end its all about the $$$

[Blue_Tires]

11. I'd say there is such a thing as "journalism", since I used to be in it...

But I do agree that Jones was little more than a stunt -- I'm betting the producers knew it would take very little to light Jones' fuse...

[ProgressiveProfessor]

15. I was in it for a while too...its not a real profession in the slightest

No enforceable standards, no certification, anybody can call themselves one, and its all about chasing the advertising $$$. Been that way for a long time, ala Hearst. When people talk about the Pulitzer Prize, I point to Westbrook Pegler

[Blue_Tires]

17. "Not a real profession?!"

I gotta ask now: Where did you ply your trade, and what did you do??

And fwiw there are COUNTLESS professions with no enforceable standards, no certification, and anybody can call themselves one, so I don't really get that point...

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. My issue with journalism is the faux nobility some claim

That somehow journalists are crusaders for truth vice just out for a buck and some name recognition. The hullabaloo when journalists tried to show themselves different/better than bloggers was another low point. When people get all excited about Morgan or any other, I point out that they are just media figures, no different than Perez Hilton.

For example, IMO the Journal News in Westchester county is getting what it deserves, and may well be restructured due to the financial hit it is taking. There have been reports of sensitive data that should not have need published and they are getting it back in full measure. Do not out, lest ye be outed kind of thing.

[Blue_Tires]

19. I just wanted to know what your industry experience was

You don't even have to get into specifics if you don't want to (or you could just PM me if you do)--Just say:

Print (paper/magazine/trade publication/other)
OR
Broadcast and new media (TV/radio/blog/podcast, etc.)

Topic or beat (News/sports/lifestyle/crime/business/education/human interest/niche interest/etc.)

Size of your readership or subscriber base (small/mid/major market), and when you worked there...

[immoderate]

2. Piers Morgan? ... Journalist??

--imm

[Erose999]

3. Jones certainly isn't the best person to frame the arguments. But I do think he's representative of

the fringe of gun nuts and the types of people who feel the compulsive need to own assault weapons.

I mean beating Jones or one of his supporters at an argument is just as simple as letting him rant and then calmly saying "are you finished?". But mainstream America has been shielded from that brand of crazy by the corporate media, and Jones and his like have been left alone in the dark corners of the interwebs. So in a way, its good that the media is shining a light on these cockroaches and putting them in check.

[GoneOffShore]

4. Good point n/t

[sadbear]

5. Thom Hartmann is having him on today.

[Bucky]

10. Great. The crazy fringe interviewed by the intelligent fringe.

I mean, let's face it: thoughtful analysis of policy is not exactly mainstream.

But the bugnutz insane gun-polishers often are considered mainstream.

[Pachamama]

6. Normally would agree with you, however in this case I think its great: The more America can see of

....this nut job - the better....if people want to see what the "gun rights" advocates look like, then have them take a good hard look at Alex Jones. He is all you need to see what we are dealing with in this country from the gun rights folks....and Jon Stewart nailed it....

[Bucky]

9. Jones was crazy scary dangerous-looking there. This does him more good than it does the debate.

[WeekendWarrior]

7. It's actually pretty brilliant

because it lets us see what supporters of "guns for everyone" are really like.

Morgan has done the world a huge favor.

[Blue_Tires]

12. Once upon a time I used to think this

But now I'd say it does a lot more harm than good -- A big media spotlight just does too much to "legitimize" instead of demonize the batshit insanity these days...One of the reasons the Sarah Palins and Glenn Becks of the world are so mainstream when in a different era they would have been shamed into obscurity....

[WeekendWarrior]

13. In this particular case

I don't think the guy was even remotely legitimized. He's an obvious nut job. We've known this for a long time. Now everyone does.

[Blue_Tires]

16. It doesn't happen overnight...

But just for example, take a look at some transcripts of Beck's more infamous rants when he was *just* a RW radio hack...He wasn't that far from Jones at all...And see how big his celebrity grew once he got on TV regularly with just a tiny bit of refinement...

[WeekendWarrior]

23. Then he bottomed out and disappeared. nt

[Bucky]

8. Piers is in over his head, sure, but the three ring circus is probably getting good ratings for him.

CNN's credibility may suck for his efforts. But ad money is ad money until you get to Glenn Beck levels of crazy and sponsors start bailing...

[samsingh]

14. he is embarassing

[spanone]

20. morgan put a frightening face on the rabid gun nuts.....i thank him.

there is no journalism anymore, it's all bad.

[MrScorpio]

21. Morgan was interviewing the person who was screaming for his deportation

It was a televised confrontation.

[alcibiades_mystery]

22. Morgan exposed the essence of the gun nut position

It was brilliant journalism.

It showed the gun fanatics for who they really are: "clowns (discussing) serious topics."