What’s the Story?
October 15, 2010

If you saw the ABC’s Media Watch on TV recently you might have seen an item about women’s magazines and the way they sometimes, shall we say, ‘embellish’ the truth somewhat. This one was specifically about former soap star Kate Ritchie’s wedding day – only to get in first, one prominent mag wrote up the story BEFORE the event had happened! And did some less-than- subtle editing of photographs, which superimposed a stock picture of the happy couple from an earlier event on the verandah at the venue where the nuptials were to take place. The story spoke of sunlight streaming through the windows during the ceremony, even though, in reality, it took place outside. It’s not the first time a women’s magazine has toyed around with fact in order to get one up on its rivals in what is a hugely competitive market. Our seemingly insatiable appetite for celebrity stories is the demand for such supply and market research suggests the mags are simply feeding this.

If you’re set on becoming a journalist, you would do well to watch Media Watch regularly, as it exposes some of the less than honourable motivations and actions of reporters and media producers. And they usually occur in pursuit of ratings and sales, to the detriment of the truth. It’s a sad state of affairs that the industry has a very small minority of practitioners who feel no conscience in these matters. It’s been happening for many years but more so now that our everyday lives are so saturated by media. After all, there’s an old saying in journalism, “Why let the facts get in the way of a good story.”

But if you do get sprung by any of the media watchdogs, and thank goodness for them, it can be a highly embarrassing exposure of one’s journalistic ethics, and in this business one’s reputation largely goes before you.

It’s imperative to maintain integrity, honesty and good, honest principles when pursuing the great craft of journalism.

Happy writing!
GARY

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