Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« The BIAW and Your Vote | Lunchtime Quickie »

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Media Stuff Journalists Like

Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Whenever I'm in a room with a bunch of journalists at a press screening or press conference, I first feel a tremendous sense of overwhelming disgust. A lot of journalists I've met are lazy, free-stuff-grabbing, ill-mannered schlubs. For the most part, they're covetous, cowardly, and incapable of critical thinking. Then I remember I'm at the press conference because I'm a journalist and I'm overcome with an overpowering feeling of self-loathing.

So I'm pretty fond of Stuff Journalists Like, because it's got the potential to be a little more nasty than Stuff White People Like. They've already pointed out that journalists dress poorly, and that they love Free Swag, Press Passes, and Free Food. But what's this, at #22? Interns.

Interns are essentially used as mops to wipe up the day’s dullest news, allowing the ~~professional~~ paid journalists who get paid to focus on items that will wind up in frames and earn them the name recognition they so crave. Interns also allow journalists to pursue time worthy efforts such as griping about the death of newspapers or to write personal blogs. Without interns, covering the news would get in the way of these endeavors.

But the best part? The illustration for the Interns entry:

Why, it's Steven Blum, our former Public Intern! Truly, he is the archetypical Intern of Interns.

Comments (17) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

That blog is pretty lame, dude.

Posted by Mr. Poe on October 30, 2008 at 12:08 PM

lol, I've seen that kid on Manhunt!!

Posted by aspect on October 30, 2008 at 12:15 PM

lol, I've seen that kid on Manhunt!!

Posted by aspect on October 30, 2008 at 12:16 PM

to be fair public intern did some really silly shit.

Posted by Bellevue Ave on October 30, 2008 at 12:25 PM

I miss Steven! He needs to guest blog more.

Posted by Gloria on October 30, 2008 at 12:29 PM

Manhunt Celebrity (TM)

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball on October 30, 2008 at 12:30 PM

I was at an event a few years ago that one of the Seattle Times' columnists was covering. It was a hoity-toity affair for a former foreign head of state at the Columbia Tower Club. This columnist showed up in wrinkled clothes and her hair was a mess. She stuffed her mouth full of miniature crab cakes and tuna tartlets, had cream cheese from the gateau all over her lips, and crumbs on her blouse. She talked with her mouth full, jotted a few notes, and wrote a shitty column about it, completely missing the point of the whole event. On her way out, I seriously saw her grab a few more appetizers, wrap them in a cloth napkin, and shove them in her purse. Classy.

Posted by You can probably guess her name on October 30, 2008 at 12:31 PM

He really was the best intern ever.

Posted by Dominic Holden on October 30, 2008 at 12:38 PM

@8- Ouch.

Posted by Chris Kissel on October 30, 2008 at 1:04 PM

That blog is insipid. Someone wants a book deal.

Posted by hohoho green giant on October 30, 2008 at 1:18 PM

I've seen everyone on Manhunt. Or, at least parts of them...

Posted by michael strangeways on October 30, 2008 at 1:23 PM

Aww poor Kissel and Dominic you'd better watch your back, Jonah was once an intern. :P

Posted by Nay on October 30, 2008 at 1:41 PM

@ 9) Sorry, Chris. We worked together for, like, seven minutes. But Steven led the crusade to return phone books. My heart was won over. Sorry.

Posted by Dominic Holden on October 30, 2008 at 1:55 PM

Ugh have you ever read his blog? He's the archetype for better-than-everything too cool for everything I hate everything but wait I'm really lonely too, why am I still single and whining? OH RIGHT! I'm better-than-everything too cool for everything I hate everything but wait I'm really lonely too, why am I still.... http://www.ohmygodseattle.blogspot.com/ I'm surprised he didn't get a full time job with y'all.

Posted by Non on October 30, 2008 at 2:20 PM

i ran into steven one night at cuff when i was *really* drunk and made an absolute fool of myself. ::sigh::

Posted by happy renter on October 30, 2008 at 2:25 PM

He's surprisingly delicate in person. Now that I think about it, all the Stranger staff I've come across have been smaller than advertised. It must be the three-quarter face byline pics. Gives the impression they're hip giants peering into my second story window.

Posted by Bubbles on October 30, 2008 at 4:01 PM

@Non-You are only feeding my already enormous ego. I will now write a grand opus on the tragedy of Seattle, and the sadness of blogging. It will be read by 150,000 of my fellow sad bloggers. You will be the main character. NEXT!

Posted by Steven Blum on October 30, 2008 at 4:54 PM