Bananafish Blues

I had an epiphany in 2008, but I didn't even realize it until now. I have a degree in journalism. I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1996 with dreams of being a foreign correspondent or a national news producer or something of that ilk. It did not work out. However, I've had a good career in audio-visual work in various parts of the country. In Las Vegas, I have worked for the tourism bureau for years, getting behind the scenes video of the many historical events in the city. One of these events was in 2008 at the Democratic Presidential Primary debate in Las Vegas.

The debate featured Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and, yes, John Edwards. Who would have thought years later Edwards could be considered the most moral and ethical of the trio. Anyway, I had my camera crew out getting the action: supporters in three groups out in the parking lot; news engineers laying down cables and scurrying between satellite trucks and the stage; and reporters or "journalists" backstage getting ready and shooting the shit.

One of those was MSNBC's Chris Matthews. While a stark-raving liberal who would soon begin a chaste love affair with Obama, I kinda liked Matthews in the 90s during the Clinton era when he didn't kiss Bill's ass and often had political strategist Pat Caddell on his show who would rave that the Clinton had turned the Democrat Party into a group of gangsters. How right he was.

Matthews was standing there alone with his drink, some kind of juice I think, and staring off into space. I was maybe 10 or 15 feet near him and doing just the same. The natural inclination would be to go up to him and say, "Hi Mr. Matthews, how are you?" or "So what do expect from tonight's debate." But I didn't. I just stood there thinking about what else we needed to shoot and kept my distance.

The epiphany I had then is now clear. He had nothing of value to offer me. In fact, no mainstream national or local journalist working today has anything to offer me. We've all shouted from time to time, "Journalism is dead!" but more accurately, journalism is intellectually dead. There is nothing left to learn or say.

If I was standing next to a movie star, same thing. What are they gonna tell me? "I'm super rich and famous and hate my fans."? A novelist? Yeah, maybe. They are certainly thinkers and are often studying the culture with great acuity. A scientist? Absolutely. There's always more in science, whether it's the never-ending struggle to cure cancer or search for the Higgs boson. But journalists...no thanks.

Journalism is an act, not a profession. I will argue that point to the grave. That's why we have the word "reporter." Relaying what was written on a press release is not journalism. And telling the public what you want them to think is definitely not journalism.

Mind, you I'm not being a semantic extremist here. People who actually commit journalism on a regular basis are more than within their rights to call themselves journalists, but to fully earn that title you have to also do everything you can to save your profession. That means taking risks. Losing that dream job if it means keeping your ethics and your integrity. Some do, and they are the people I would love to have a conversation with.