[Previous entry: "Good Day Sunshine!"] [Next entry: "All Hail The "Boo Hoo Bounce""]

01/08/2008: "Selling Their Journalistic Souls"

It's one thing when media hacks like Entertainment Tonight, Star and the MarlinBlog devote waaaay too much time to the ongoing Britney Spears saga. But it's different - and much scarier - when the Associated Press does the same.

The following memo was sent out by Frank Baker, assistant chief of the AP's LaLaLand Bureau:

Now and for the foreseeable future, virtually everything involving Britney is a big deal. That doesn't mean every rumor makes it on the wire. But it does mean that we want to pay attention to what others are reporting and seek to confirm those stories that WE feel warrant the wire. And when we determine that we'll write something, we must expedite it.

I'm not sure just how to take this. Certainly, Britney has made a lot of news lately, and papered the gossip blogs with her actions, but is it really newsworthy? On the other hand, she's dancing so close to the edge that a serious journalistic group feels the need to cover her closely, hedging their bets that she'll do something (suicide, fatal crash, shootout with cops) that's truly newsworthy.

Another proud day for the Spears' clan - and those who cover them.