# When the media maturbates: first Daniel Pearl, now Roone Arlidge. Enough already. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 9, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537 "2002-12-09T16:35:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/1 "2002-12-09T16:35:04Z")
One problem with the media is that they have too much …well… access to the media. So when something gets them all in a tizzy of collected emotions – grief, indignation, cockiness – instead of putting in a the company newsletter like the rest of the world does it, they put it ON MY TELEVISION SET! When Daniel Pearl, journalist for the Wall Street Jounal, was kidnapped and murdered that was news. Fine. No problem with that. But Jesus, on and on with the tributes and stories about how he was a great guy and a boffo reporter. I had to clear the jizz off my newspaper and TV screen every day for about two weeks. You know what? Lots of great people who do good work get killed BUT NONE OF THEM GET HUGE CHUNKS OF AIRTIME AND MILES OF COLUMN INCHES TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT! (I’m not suggesting they should, BTW.) Now this whole business is repeating itself with Roone Arlidge (sp?). TV pioneer? No doubt about it. Good for one news segment… PERIOD. But no… CNN is carrying his funeral live! Good God, spare us. Why can’t they just do like when the old geezer cameraman dies? Two sentences at the end of the broadcast and leave it at that. Much classier. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/2 "2002-12-09T16:44:21Z")
“_When Media Maturbates_, this week on FOX!” ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/3 "2002-12-09T16:48:09Z")
Well for what it’s worth, a NBC cameraman in NY was just discovered dead in the trunk of his car. He had been shot execution style. I doubt you’ll hear anything else about it. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/4 "2002-12-09T16:55:01Z")
God DAMN! Is there any speculation as to who did that, World? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/5 "2002-12-09T18:48:50Z")
Some years ago, the editor of the _Arkansas Democrat_ died the same weekend as one of our ex-governors. The guy got more column inches _and_ a bigger obit on that page than the ex-guv did. Now, the _Democrat_ is the biggest deal, newspaper-wise, there is in Arkansas, I suppose, but how much did they expect us to care about him? I suppose it’s only human. “Good ol’ Tom died; I remember drinking with him at the last convention . . . Well let’s give him a good send-off.” DD ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/6 "2002-12-09T20:45:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Lots of great people who do good work get killed BUT NONE OF THEM GET HUGE CHUNKS OF AIRTIME AND MILES OF COLUMN INCHES TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT! What, none of them? Have we forgotten about Princess Diana already? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/7 "2002-12-09T22:39:59Z")
Not that I’m aware of **Jar**. He was 28 IIRC, had a previous criminal record, and had a very nice late model Mercedes. The fact that he was shot execution style, and the very nice car wasn’t taken, obvioously raises some questions. Hopefully they’ll figure it out, but since he sounded more like joe 6 pack, perhaps thats the last we’ll hear of it. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/8 "2002-12-10T22:16:02Z")
That whole Roone Arledge bullshit…all you hear about is how he revolutionized TV news, like that was a good thing…like the way Pol Pot revolutionized population control… ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/9 "2002-12-10T22:18:38Z")
I think Daniel Pearl’s murder did deserve attention…it showed a lot of people just what some terrorists would resort to. As for Roone Arledge, most people outside the TV news business had no idea who he was. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/10 "2002-12-10T22:56:26Z")
cuate, no one is saying that Pearl – and Arledge too – were not newsworthy. It’s all the follow-up crap that makes it in print and on TV that annoys me. Say the president of some multinational corporation gets kidnapped and killed by drug lords or terrorists or whoever. That makes the news as it should. But the story is essential over and done in a day or two. But if you’re a member of the media, well boy-o, the story drags on and on until every correspondent that ever had a beer with you gets to do a segment or a column about how great you were. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Barber_s_Underwear)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/11 "2002-12-11T03:05:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > > > [@](#): > > > > Lots of great people who do good work get killed BUT NONE OF THEM GET HUGE CHUNKS OF AIRTIME AND MILES OF COLUMN INCHES TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT! > > \*\*What, none of them? Have we forgotten about Princess Diana already? \*\* Ah, but he said “great people” who do “good work”, not rich tarts who think that they are the next Mother Theresa because they once touched an AIDS victim. - Bubba. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyDiamond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@CrazyDiamond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyDiamond)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/12 "2002-12-11T04:30:54Z")
hate the news. hate the fucking news. every night - there’s some idiot on, excitedly telling us about “tragic car crash… survived by…terrible circumstances… condolences…” it seems so ridiculously fake, its insulting. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/13 "2002-12-11T19:18:29Z")
So - I’m not the only one who watches news and thinks “OK, this is what I need to give a f\*\*k about today…” - thanks for the heads-up, you goddamn talkin’ bobbleheads! ---
**Author:** ![ChuckForbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@ChuckForbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChuckForbin)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/14 "2002-12-11T19:28:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by seal\_clubber \* > **So - I’m not the only one who watches news and thinks "OK, this is what I need to give a f** k about today…" - thanks for the heads-up, you goddamn talkin’ bobbleheads! \*\* Nice username you have there. So tell me, was “Puppy Kicker” already taken ? ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/15 "2002-12-11T21:14:03Z")
Puppy Kicker? I don’t know, doesn’t that sound kinda…well…hostile? ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/16 "2002-12-11T21:22:14Z")
I was going to be baby\_slapper but someone already took it. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-the-media-maturbates-first-daniel-pearl-now-roone-arlidge-enough-already/141537/17 "2002-12-12T06:44:33Z")
Hey now. Roone did give us Monday Night Football. But I agree. The media is very self-serving in this regard. And speaking of user names, someone on Fark has the name “Christ Puncher”.