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Monday, June 15, 2009

Media / Books Maybe That Could Save Journalism

Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 11:28 AM

The oldest paper in Israel turned itself over to a different kind of writer last week:

...all the reporters’ notebooks were handed over to poets and novelists, both bestselling and up-and-coming. Their articles filled the pages, from the leading headline to the weather report.

...

Among those articles were gems like the stock market summary, by author Avri Herling. It went like this: “Everything’s okay. Everything’s like usual. Yesterday trading ended. Everything’s okay. The economists went to their homes, the laundry is drying on the lines, dinners are waiting in place… Dow Jones traded steadily and closed with 8,761 points, Nasdaq added 0.9% to a level of 1,860 points…. The guy from the shakshuka [an Israeli egg-and-tomato dish] shop raised his prices again….” The TV review by Eshkol Nevo opened with these words: “I didn’t watch TV yesterday.” And the weather report was a poem by Roni Somek, titled “Summer Sonnet.” (“Summer is the pencil/that is least sharp/in the seasons’ pencil case.”) News junkies might call this a postmodern farce, but considering that the stock market won’t be soaring anytime soon, and that “hot” is really the only weather forecast there is during Israeli summers, who’s to say these articles aren’t factual?

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Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

How could this possibly go wrong.

The only higher guarantee of poverty than being a writer (except maybe in Seattle), is being a poet.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on June 15, 2009 at 11:34 AM

Right. Because wouldn't everybody rather read poetry than news?

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on June 15, 2009 at 11:42 AM

@2 ... you mean like the ambulance chasing news that's on KOMO TV 4 and the other ones.

Hmm. Maybe I was a bit harsh.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on June 15, 2009 at 11:52 AM

I think it's cute.

Posted by Jocelyn

on June 15, 2009 at 11:53 AM

Jew Fag shit!

Posted by Westboro Baptist Church on June 15, 2009 at 12:31 PM

I thought this was a great idea (for one issue, anyway). I wish papers HERE would try that! (Hellooooo Stranger??)

Posted by Teresa Jusino

on June 15, 2009 at 3:08 PM

I. Love. This! I haven't read this paper in question, so maybe it really is "postmodern farce," but I'm guessing I'd check in and read a newpaper written by poets and novelists EVERY day. Sounds like a beautiful idea for a zine...

Posted by mitten on June 15, 2009 at 8:26 PM