IS BLACK + WHITE BECOMING A GRAY AREA? The twenty-first century, with all its technical innovation, political change and evolution in general has brought with it a modicum of harsh reality. Once revered for its research, sage advice, and otherwise prolific take on the commonplace, the written word has undoubtedly come under fire in this last decade. We've seen printed matter news empires collapse, we've seen the major networks referred to as "fake news" by our so-called political leaders, we've seen the emergence of the social network as being the new "For Dummies" so to speak. As someone who has been on the front lines and behind the scenes in busy newsroom situations I've witnessed firsthand the sweat and tears of those, like me, who belabor to deliver news that helps define the unknown with integrity and a point of view. Hey, my first job was an extensive paper route for the Boston Globe and it taught me a wealth of life lessons, even for a boy of only 10 years.
"I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous, everyone hasn't met me yet."
Some forty years later, delivering the news is easier on the back, but much more complex on both the "delivery" system and return on investment. Which brings me to the topic of discussion, R.E.S.P.E.C.T! A concept that seems much more dubious to define in the era of the Internet. Respect is something that has been called into question when viewing the credibility of everyone from scientists to world leaders these days. Imagine, if you will, that you put a preview story out to your dedicated readership about an upcoming toy release, and through the magic of analytics and other easily definable criteria you know you had reached upwards of 5K individuals who had read your article. That's a strong response. And then imagine that the "not a toy" figure we perfumed the air in subsequently sold out. Now, imagine that the maker you were writing about, even when/if prompted, never approached you with an offer a sample to do a physical review of said toy, or to even extend a simple "thanks". Would you: (1.) have the street cred of your readers based simply on promotional 'glam shots' (and no hands-on assessment)? and/or (2.) bother writing anything about that toymaker again? Say this scenario has repeated itself on several occasions (no one wants to be a broken 33⅓ -- would you consider this a cyclical relationship, or a means to an end?
"When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them."
Here at GOFN, we'd like to consider a long tradition of how the written word is delivered, in black and white, with credence to both the freedom of the press and of speech - in its brevity or bounty, and less defined in 140 characters. In terms of news (or that which constitutes such these days), as that's what we do on a daily basis, there seems a heavy reliance on simple clickbait, and "hits" rather than content in this new cultural dynamic. Of course anyone who is serious about the written word would take umbridge to this travesty of our times, and take great pause. Where is the defining line between general respect and "ignorance is bliss"? Though as to not become a salmon swimming upstream, and to keep harmony with contemporary flux and wane, one must adjust, even if slightly, to the tide. But, and this is a big but, one must do so out of the honor system, and cannot simply bow to fads, or even have the slight expectation of compliment. All cheerleaders grow up....eventually. This here, people, is the fork in the road.
WOE IS WE: Personally, I feel privileged to serve a relatively large audience, especially given the fact that our subject matter is a bit of a delicate flower, or more accurately, an acquired taste. Though when it comes to "respect" it's harder to judge the range and reach to your audience without unapologetically asking for a shameless pat on the back. And this has become more difficult because we've removed ourselves from physical interaction these days, the whole concept of the tête–à–tête seems all too foreign and confrontational. Thanks Facebook!
"I get no respect, no respect at all."
As a cultural community have we really become hardened to simply the glossy image of the end product, or do we care about it's function, it's craftsmanship, or more importantly, the soul of it all?! We can't play the blame game with wireless connections, endless keyboard tapping and so on. Rather this is likely a good time to pause and take a long look at ourselves, and not necessarily in a mirror. As people we become creatures of habit, of easy access, the Googling information age. I still remember looking through dictionaries, a thesaurus, going to the library, even wrangling through dusty old encyclopedia - to find information. Sure, Siri, Alexa and Cortana are right there in your pocket, but given their hiccups, are they REALLY the friends you want to trust to free your mind? Respect comes in many rare forms. Keep reading :)
Special Thanks to Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004).
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