The Albuquerque Journal’s Washington reporter, Michael Coleman, opens today's piece this way:
"Rep. Heather Wilson got plenty of media mileage form her near-nuclear assault on television executives who came to Capital Hill earlier this month to discuss Janet Jackson’s breast-baring episode during the Super Bowl halftime show."
At that point, I was ready for some analysis. Silly me.
The column went on to detail where Wilson got her "mileage," including PBS and Howard Stern and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher." OK, I’m happy to know that, but the analysis?
Coleman tells us where he stands – "CBS, MTV and Viacom have denied any knowledge of the incident prior to it happening. But Janet Jackson wasn’t making many apologies." Then he points out that she was pushing her new CD.
So we know he forgives the institutions, but not the entertainer, No matter that she, unlike the corporations, took responsibility for the stunt.
Interesting, but what about Wilson?
Returning to her, Coleman quotes her comments on HBO and goes back to the clips to find other instances in which she spoke up for decency.
Too bad he didn’t do more research. I would have appreciated knowing the context for Wilson’s stand. What does she think is decent? How did she vote on reform of election financing? Has she ever pushed TV to contribute free time to candidates? Ever voted against Big Media on any issue?
Hey, I am easily pleased. Wilson's definition of decency woul have satisfied me. Unfortunately, Coleman didn't do that. Nor did he make any connections.
Journalism in the first degree is telling us about events – who, what, where, when, why they happened. When they have time, as in Sunday columns, news folk are supposed to help us think. That demands context, connections, sometimes contradictions.
Instead, Colmean just told us Wilson got a lot of ink, thereby giving her still more, before walking away from his computer.
Pointless journalism.