Kennedy 'obits' are evidence of irresponsible journalism

RepMan:

Senator Edward M. 'Ted' Kennedy has been all but buried by the mainstream media. The senator's unfortunate bout with brain cancer has been big news for big media. The only problem has been a rush to debate how long the ailing pol will survive. It's become a media death pool. I find this all-too-typical pack mentality disturbing to say the least. Sure, there have been some objective, balanced reports aimed at educating readers, viewers and listeners. Sadly, though, most members of the Fourth Estate are awash with rumor, innuendo and speculation. What happened to responsible reporting? What happened to respecting the rights and privacy of the family? And, why are there not more checks and balances to mitigate this sort of paparazzi-style reportage? Many media are quick to point the finger when they see examples of amateurish, unprofessional behavior by public relations executives."

Or by bloggers. Mainstream media loves to tut tut about the blogosphere but the absurd frenzy around Kennedy's illness has been absurd. You know, with a sinking heart, that these bastards just can't wait to report "the death of the last of the Kennedy brothers". They'll get to extract days of easy content generation by re-visiting all that archival stuff about the 'tragic Kennedys" to be followed up by gentle puff pieces in the weekend newspaper glossy magazines for weeks to come. At times like this the naked commercialism of the media is truly sickening.