In my naive days I used to think that news stories were meant to be stories of interest. That they were uncovered topics that were being revealed to a public thirsting for information and knowledge.
Now, Im coming to realize that there is something more to how stories are selected. Im just not quite sure what that “something ” is.
I keep on reading commentary about how Ozzie Guillen “makes himself the story” . That “Mark Cuban made himself the story”. It reminds me of the days that everyone wanted to know what color Dennis Rodmans hair was going to be. “Dennis made himself the story”
Is this something like “The Devil made me do it ?”. Is there some invisible editor in the ether doling out assignments ? How does someone “make themselves the story ?”
Worse than being “made to cover”, it becomes a process as inevitable as a gerbil’s progress on his wheel.
Once everyone writes the story that “was made”, the inevitable follow up is for the same media that wrote the “made story”, to complain that they are covering the “made story”
Its a shame that Mark Cuban continues to make himself the story of the NBA Finals.
Its a shame we are still covering Mark Cuban, who continues to make himself a story.
Its a shame we had to spend so much time covering Mark Cuban, who made himself the story.
So i have a question for the media. If you dont want a person to be “the story”, then why do you write or talk about it ?
Why not ignore me ? Why not make it policy NOT to point the camera at me. If you think im a publicity hound, wouldnt you be hurting me the most by ignoring me ? If Im “making myself the story”, isnt that the at the same editorial level as Editorial for pay ? Except you are doing it for free ? Is it tabloid journalism ?
Thats what I dont understand. If I shouldnt be the story, why are you making it the story ? Can you not come up with something better ? There are a million stories surrounding every game/series/season. How in the world can you not come up with something better ?
Im sure Ozzie Guillen is feeling the same way right about now.
he is probably thinking to himself…. I want to be left alone. I want to do my job. I want to win another championship. You wont leave me alone, i got mad. i made a stupid comment. i really didnt meant it as anything more than a baselevel derogatory comment, but in this PC world, we have to be incredibly careful what we say, which i recognize. So i apologized. next time i will come up with a better derogatory adjective that wont freak everyone out.
Ozzie, I recommend Jagoff. Its what im going to use from now on. Just call the people you dont like Jagoffs.
Its a word that we used to use in Pittsburgh when I was growing up. I didnt know what it meant then. Still dont. But it works extremely well because no one else does either.
Ozzies choice of words was the least of his problems. His choice of words were just the trigger for the circus called ” You are now the story”
Ozzies uses the wrong word. Now the media has to ask everyone around him what they think. Then you have to ask them what he thinks about what they think. Then you have to ask them what they think about what he said about what they think , which they said when he asked about what he said in the first place.
But thats not enough. they have to call the MLB PR office multiple times every day. The PR guys all stand around and go “Shoot. we have gotten so many calls about this,we have to say and do something. ” So they say that they will make Ozzie go to sensitivity training.
Then everyone has to ask not only Ozzie, but the people they asked about Ozzie and that all work with Ozzie what they think about Ozzie having to go to sensitivity training and how Ozzie will respond.
Next they are asking Ozzie what he thinks about what everyone else thinks about what he thought about the sensitivity training.
is there substance anywhere here after the first round ?
If Ozzie had said Jagoff instead of the word he chose, his intent and target would have been the same, but he would not “have made himself the story”
Personally, I still think it comes down to an ability to find stories that reveal something new and interesting. Instead there is a very distinct trend to “Star Magazineize” sports sections. Pick a personality and extend the stories as long as you can. Substance be damned.
Ozzie, you get to be Brittany Spears. I will be Bradgelina.