Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Truth in Journalism?
In both stories, Rue Morgue and Marie Roget, I feel Poe was trying to make a criticism on the media, the first tabloids. The papers never got it completely right. It is again an argument on truth. Especially in Marie Roget. The various newspapers had all the clues but they didn't release them in any way that made sense of the matter. They made their own assumptions without any facts to back it up. People trust newspapers and they have abused their power to sell their own agenda. As an editor of various newspapers do you think there is an argument against this type of journalism? The term yellow journalism didn't actually get penned until almost the end of the 19th century. Do you think Poe was trying to destroy it before it even began?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I would say, Kevin--yes. There is a certain causticity involved in regard to the press and how it operates. It would be better to report a few simple facts of the case, and allow the police to conduct their own investigation.
Kevin,
I agree. After reading your post I went digging through what I have already read searching for the paragraph where Poe talks about truth being hidden in the valleys rather that on mountain tops, but my Poe addled mind refuses to remember what story that was from.
However I did find the following passage from Marie Roget which supports your observation:
We should bear in mind that, in general, it is the object of our newspapers rather to create a sensation--to make a point--than to further the cause of truth. (521)
I believe the real lesson for us it to see that these words hold true today-maybe even more so since we see images of "truth" on the nightly news-forgetting that these news shows are in fact, entertainment meant to make people money.
Post a Comment