Social media erupted with outrage after some journalists repeated details from the coroner’s report on Robin Williams’ suicide. It seems that many people didn’t want to hear the unpleasant details…er; reality.
Nanny Journalism
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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This is disgusting and callous. Details of a personal tragedy are not comparable to details of war crimes our government condones.
The truth is the truth.
No. They aren’t. But we always get a nice coupla Dumpsterfuls of sordid details about individuals’ personal disintegration. How often does the news go to similar depth to excoriate those in power?
Here. Right off the top of my head.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/08/12/george-will-confirms-nixons-vietnam-treason
You will probably be able to follow every single mainstream news outlet’s coverage of this. You could never follow the Williams’ “data” dump. It would take you the rest of your life.
I posted this elsewhere. You stealing my thunder? 🙂
But you see, Ted, discussion about whether it was ethical or not to publish the details of Mr Williams’ suicide serve exactly the same purpose as publishing the details – they both distract attention from the really unpleasant things that are going on, paid for by your tax money….
Henri
@ Henri –
I think that was the point of the ‘toon – with the logical extension that soon “news” won’t be news at all, but fantasies. (Or have we reached that goal already?)
I suspect, mein verehrter Lehrer, that we have – indeed, quite some time ago….
Henri