Real journalists and news reporters such as Brian Hartman, Anderson Cooper, Oleg Wiig, Greg Palkot and many more are willing to disregard their personal safety, suffer abuse, and stand on the front line. These journalists witness and gather news and record events in Egypt and other areas of conflict, in order to bring the truth to those of us who are not able or willing to be present. With little more than a camera and crew, they bring testimony, and an authentic history of occurring incidents.
Self Less Risk Taking Journalists
Any journalist who has reported under these conditions understands fully the risks that these reporters are taking. Their lives are in danger.
Hartman and Cooper and colleagues report historical events; they do not manufacture sensational stories to attract readers, such as the likes of those ‘media story bringers’ who decide that bullying and tormenting celebrities and well-known people, such as the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, sells news and makes ‘loadsa dosh’.
Manufacturing News
The type of 'tabloid reporting' that exposes Sarah Ferguson's ‘dodgy’ business deal involving Prince Andrew, shown on Britain’s News of the World website, in May 2010, involves tricking, dismantling, and harassing celebrities to create news. Its method causes real journalists and freelance writers' stomachs to heave and feel shameful that somehow through their profession they are somewhat connected.
Oprah Winfrey's Sincere Interview
Most readers will understand the unprofessional nature of this type of story telling. Oprah’s candid, sincere exposition of the actions of the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Tuesday, June 1, 2010, in an exclusive interview, “Sarah Ferguson Speaks Out about the Headline Making Scandal”, portrayed her just as Winfrey described, “emotionally and spiritually bankrupt”.
Although Sarah Ferguson stated that she agrees with Oprah’s "genius" description, paradoxically, “emotionally and spiritually bankrupt” aptly describes those who wish to prey on and bully the desperate, in order to make money.
Ellen DeGeneres' "United Against Bullying"
More pertinently, a campaign, called "United Against Bullying", initiated by Ellen DeGeneres, is mounting steadily against bullying. DeGeneres, who in the past has also fallen prey to unscrupulous reporting, invites celebrities and well-known people to appear on her show, Ellen, and provide testimonies of their feelings and experiences of being singled out, harassed and bullied.
Sarah Ferguson's story fits beautifully into Ellen's crusade, since the type of ‘reporting ambush’ or let’s say ‘story making trap' that Ms. Ferguson stumbled into is media bullying. Any form of reporting that preys upon, hounds, manipulates and shames any person known to be fragile, popular or not, is quite clearly harassment and bullying in its purist form.
Reporter Bullies
Where is the professionalism, the integrity, the empathy, sympathy, and compassion of these reporter bullies? Have all these human traits switched-off in the name of selling a story and making money?
Do those who involve themselves in this kind of media frenzied, sensational type of reporting need reminding of the consequences of bullying or stalking?
Do the tabloid feeders need a sharp, painful memory jog? SInce they apparently do not recall the events building up to the untimely death of Sarah Ferguson’s best friend – Princess Diana.
Do these story tellers pay attention to the reports of the teenagers committing suicide after being subjected to bullying? Probably not, because they are so absorbed in their own goal of making money that they are simply incapable of relating those tragic losses of life to their own ‘work’.
Thanks to Oprah Winfrey
So, cheers to former journalist Oprah Winfrey for producing a six-part documentary series about Sarah Ferguson that will appear on OWN called, "Finding Sarah". Thank you also to Ms. Winfrey for recognising Sarah Ferguson as an obviously desperate woman and showing her kindness and simultaneously ignoring the ‘you’re fat again’ campaign against herself.
Leave Journalism to the Professionals
Stories similar to those of Sarah Ferguson's, whose main aims are to humiliate and embarrass are media garbage, produced by news investigators with no integrity. They fabricate tales from junk that not only discredits their victims, but their profession.
Sources:
“Sarah Ferguson Speaks Out about the Headline Making Scandal”,The Oprah Winfrey Show, "Oprah.com", Tuesday, June 1, 2010. retrieved Feb. 6, 2011.
"Duchess of York 'Devastated' Over Tabloid Sting", Michelle Ruiz, "Aol News", "Aolnews.com", May 24, 2010. retrieved, Feb. 6, 2011.
"The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson Comes to OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network", "Oprah.com", Sept 10, 2010. retreived Feb 6, 2011
"United Against Bullying", Ellen DeGeneres, "Ellen.warnerbros.com" retrieved Feb. 7, 2011
Lesley Lanir - Freelance writer, lecturer and teacher trainer Lesley Lanir, writes on foreign language learning disorders, linguistics, and literature.
