JOURNALISM MAY BE in its most dire time in the history of the craft, but MTV thinks people will watch a program about the profession. They have a new show, The Paper, about a Florida high school newspaper.A columnist from the Contra Costa Times writes: The show marks a real departure for the youth-centric cable network. It's not "The Real World," or "Laguna Beach," or "The Hills." Rich, hot-looking kids aren't making out in Jacuzzis. They're not slamming shots in some raucous club. They're not prancing about in skimpy bikinis on spring break.
Instead, the show just focuses on smart, normal kids going to class, sacrificing large chunks of their social lives and pouring their passion into a ... newspaper.
Television has a fascination with the print world, from Sex and the City (Sarah Jessica Parker played a sex columnist) to Ugly Betty (she works at a magazine) to I'm from Rolling Stone, another MTV production about interns at the legendary music mag.
Are people really that interested in the inner workings of print publications? Or are these shows destined to fail?
3 comments:
Come on. The show has NOTHING to do about the newspaper. It's just using normal people who are very unique and... weird. It's about getting attention and ratings and money. They don't care one bit about the stupid paper. It would be the same if they were part of the environmental club. It doesn't have pretty girls and sexy boys. I sadly watched one episode and was drawn to the CRAZINESS of the editor-in-chief. I think it's about how WEIRD these kids are, and not about the paper they are writing.
MTV is terrible. It doesn't play music anymore and when it does its just 30 second clips. It's obsessed with gossip. I'm sure this show is just scripted like all of their other "reality" shows. I haven't seen this show, but I would be shocked if it was actually about a newspaper at all. What a terrible idea.
I think it is a good idea for the younger generation because it can open their eyes up to the profession. I came from a small school where you would be made fun of if you wrote in the paper.
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