Frank Sesno-- the other kind of celebrity journalist Unfortunately, one of my midterms coincided with Frank Sesno’s lecture and I was unable to attend. However, I have been able to hear a lot of feedback from fellow students who were in attendance. Much of the lecture seemed to be focused on some of the challenges that journalism is facing. One such challenge is the so-called “popularity contest” among journalists, which can lead to bias in news coverage. The first thing that comes to mind is the show “The O’Reilly Factor” which airs on Fox.

I have to admit that even though I am in complete disagreement with the majority of Bill O’Reilly’s opinions, I will tune in on occasion for the sheer entertainment of it all. When you watch this show, it is really nothing more than a shouting match between O’Reilly and whoever his guest at the time may be. There is absolutely no value in the little news that is reported because of the strong bias dominating the discussion.

I think this type of “news” show is a perfect example of what Sesno meant during his discussion of “celebrity” news journalists and the resulting “popularity contest.” Shows like “The O’Reilly Factor” present an ethical problem because they are being presented as “news” shows when in reality they are nothing more than entertainment. While I am fortunate enough to understand the difference, many Americans are not. This is problematic because of the resulting bandwagon effect of “Bill O’Reilly Loyalists” tuning into his show for their primary source of “news.”

The fact that Frank Sesno spoke to this problem is somewhat interesting because some may consider him to be exactly what he argues against—a celebrity journalist. However, I am encouraged by his comments because it shows an awareness that I definitely do not see in others (like Bill O’Reilly).  ¶ posted by Kristen at 8:54 PM •