Lauren JonesFox is causing controversy with one of its latest reality shows by transporting a beauty queen into small-market television news.
Lauren Jones, former Miss New York, and "Barker Beauty" from The Price is Right, is currently working in Tyler, Texas, as a reporter for KYTX. It's all apart of the network's reality show "Anchorwoman". Jones has no education or experience in journalism...and on her second day, ruined a real reporter's live shot by dancing in the background.
KYTX president Phil Hurley thinks the idea will allow viewers to sample the station's product, but as one might imagine, there are some loud critics, including the Society of Professional Journalists, the Poynter Institute, and serious journalists in the Tyler area. "Being a responsible journalist is not that easy, not that laughable, not that cosmetic, not that superficial," says Christine Tatum, national president of SPJ. "We're seeing this blur of the lines between news and entertainment, and it's just getting worse and worse."
Jones will be working in the newsroom for four weeks. The show is scheduled to air on August 21st.
See the full story here.
**My personal thoughts: HUH?! I am so embarassed for real journalists who try to do solid work. I am also saddened for those viewers who have to actually watch that trainwreck.**
4 comments:
While this sounds like a terrible idea, I'm not sure why it's that big of a deal.
My dad is an architect in Springfield. When I was still in high school, he was a part of a local design contest that was judged by Ned Reynolds. How is he any more qualified to judge design than this woman is qualified to be on the news? I think that in both cases it's just a publicity stunt. She probably won't be anchoring once this show is over.
Of course it's a publicity stunt...however, news is supposed to be a profession with integrity and decency. This stunt is a disservice...
Journalists are supposed to be public servants. Journalists are supposed to report the news, NOT BE the news. Journalists are supposed to bring injustices to light--not dance around on TV with their boobs hanging out.
I am not saying that news is perfect, in fact, it's quite the opposite. But this kind of show only makes it worse, and it will make a mockery of the television news business--as if it doesn't criticisms already.
Why did Ned Reynolds judge a design contest? That's weird...but judging a contest is not the same as pretending to be a journalist. An equal comparison would be if this woman judged a regional news competition.
This is funny, TV has been hitting lows for some time now. You just picked up on this???? Is it because they're moving in to your profession? As far as journalists are concerned, mainstream media says you are fair game and why? Ratings, until journalists start demanding more from their employers this will just be another sad chapter in television. It's funny how when reality TV starts moving in on journalists, now it's a problem...what was your first clue?
Well, most people would say that TV has been on the decline for years, so I'm not arguing with you on that...
To me, this is just another example of how journalism has lost some integrity. It happens everywhere, but it has been said that journalism is the heart of democracy...without journalism there is none. I really believe in good journalism, and in my opinion, this is not an example of such.
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