Don't get Lynched, Hunt for Harmony

(Image Source)

In my post "Competing Values: Profits Take on Principles", I began discussing the conflicts involved in writing as an art and writing as a trade. That is, it is a great challenge to find a balance in what you wish to write and what the market wants you to write. By studying the case of Perez Hilton and his celebrity blog, I demonstrated how from the profit-principle relation (or often dichotomy) issues of ethics, responsibility, reputation, and income arise. While satisfying all of these elements can be daunting, it is possible. In this post, I will provide you with two examples of writers in different genres--ones who suffered from misplaced motives and one who achieved a fulfilling blend.

They got lynched

While journalism carries with it certain social responsibility, it remains a market –a competitive one. The desire to publish articles that will gain readers and turn profits can potentially obscure truth in a given piece. For instance, when the major papers recognized potential for an exciting story in Private Jessica Lynch’s experience of war in Iraq, the want to put a good story together overwhelmed the responsibility to put a true story together. The result was a greatly sensationalized, exaggerated story consisting of many falsehoods. (Source)

After the Pentagon declared in April 2003 that Lynch maintained extreme bravery throughout both her captivity in and her rescue from an Iraqi hospital, publications jumped on the opportunity to sell sentimentality, portraying Lynch as a symbol of strength, patriotism, and freedom. The New York Post, for example, published an article titled, "How Daring Midnight Ballet Brought Back Pfc. Jessica From The Enemy's Evil Clutches." (Source)

Once Lynch returned and once the attention died down, the realities of the story emerged, revealing her to be treated much better than the media described. For instances, Lynch obtained her injuries from a Hummer crash, not from Iraqi soldiers, as many articles claimed; she wasn't imprisoned, she was hospitalized; there were no Iraqi military in the hospital and she was appointed one of the two nurses on her room's floor. (Source) To watch Lynch speak of her real experience and the manipulation of it, visit A conversation with Jessica Lynch.

In the hunt for a marketable story, the papers and newscasts relied on unnamed sources for the information they published and failed to consult other resources. They could have spoken to Lynch herself to confirm their stories, for instance. Although their motives became confused, they could have saved the credibility of their pieces (and themselves) by properly researching and confirming their stories.

The publications and authors that printed the misleading recounts were forced to reexamine the details and print retractions in attempts to restore public trust. In October 2003, for instance, New York Post published a correction story titled "Saving Private Lynch from Misinformation." This damage is the direct result of their over-focus on gaining readership and profits, as they overlooked accuracy to feed the public's hunger for stories to hit heartstrings.

He hunts harmony

The industry of fictional literature is often divided in high and low genre. In his article, Good Books Don't Have to Be Hard, book critic Lev Grossman discusses how modernism stole the heart from the Victorian novel, and when I say heart, he means plot. As modernists felt a chronological story in which all events tie up at the end was not realistic, they created novels more representative of their realities. (Source)

Further, modernists also wrote at a level more difficult to read, unlike their predecessors, like Dickens, for instance. Think James Joyce's Ulysses or Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. As this limited reading to the intellectuals, a trend began that made readers feel that an easier read was something for the lower classes, a part of "lowbrow culture.”

Grossman and many other literary experts agree that today we are in need of another shift, one that supports the interesting, but still intelligent, read. According to the Association of American Publishers, in 2009, sales of the traditional hardcover literary novel dropped 17.8% while sales of the entertaining young-adult novel rose 30.7%. (Source)

Here, we see an opportunity to cash in on the pleasurable novels that some consider cheap thrills. But, in this and many other profitable writing markets, there is also an opportunity to create a hybrid of sophisticated literary intelligence and popular entertainment. (Source)

Writer Michael Chabon has been very successful in using popular genres as interesting outlets for his literary expertise. While his path as a writer began with a campus novel, it has since traveled to comic books in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay), to detective fiction in The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, and to adventure romance fiction in Gentlemen of the Road. He combines areas of literature, “highbrow” and “lowbrow”, which have traditionally been strictly divided. In bringing new depth to these popular genres, Chabon has found his comfortable and creative balance between profits and principles.

Writing Rule(s):

First of all, don't get sloppy. While writing professionally does carry the stress of tight deadlines, no shortcuts can be taken in checking facts. In all fields, loss of credibility can be a career killer.

Secondly, in your hunt for harmony, be creative. Be inspired by Chabon's success in inserting "highbrow" techniques in "lowbrow" forms. Know that when a certain genre is being widely read, it is also being widely written. You need a fresh angle to stand out and impress.

Competing Values: Profits Take on Principles

(Image Source)

The pen bleeds our creativity, our originality, our fears, our inspirations. Indeed, the world of writing is beautiful. But trying to fit such an art into today's market can be nasty. To enter the market, writers must put on the gloves (or, in some cases, go bare-knuckle with rings on). Hunt down the demands, what is going to sell today, and knock out the competition. Unfortunately, these sorts of pressures can simultaneously increase one’s financial worth and slash one’s moral value. While the art is freeing, the trade can be restricting.

From Blogs to Riches

I’ve talked about him before. He’s tacky, he’s rude, he gossips about anything Hollywood; he’s Perez Hilton and he’s worth about $30 mill. (Source) Perez, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, worked as a publicist and journalist before starting his first blog, PageSixSixSix.com.

Perez’s real success began after the show “The Insider” labeled his blog “Hollywood’s most-hated website.” This hiked his Web views hugely, a trend that continued after the name change to perezhilton.com. His blog now attracts about 7 million views a day and advertisers pay up to $54 000 a day to be on his site.

Today, his profits extend past the blog, as he is writing a book on celebrities, has regular television and radio appearances, has acted in several films, has his own reality TV show, and has just begun his own record label. To read an interview between Perez and the LA Times on his success, visit Turning a blog into an empire.

Marko Saric, the man behind howtomakemyblog.com, notes a few things that Perez did well. To be a successful blogger, you have to, like Perez did, choose a popular topic that you too are interested in, blog regularly, be opinionated, and use your blog’s success in other ventures. (Source)

Now, to get back to the basics, before the riches—what’s in the content? Perezhilton.com is filled with candid photos, which Perez usually marks up on MS Paint, and updates on and gossip about every kind of celebrity (A-Z). As he updates his blog anywhere from 20-40 times a day, much of the information is less than captivating. He writes in a sarcastic (sometimes plain mean) tone, and his posts are often ridden with spelling and grammar mistakes.

Many agree Perez’s blog is lacking in writing skill and talent. There is not much style and it is obvious there is little if any editing occurring. Further, for many, this form of writing, celebrity gossip and the like, is to professional writers as porn is to actors. We’re tempted by the money, but can’t quite bring ourselves to sell that kind of “lowbrow” culture. We don’t want to invade people’s privacy or unjustly bash anyone for a buck; we want to entertain with our great creativity and technique and educate with our extensive research. We are writers and we are proud.

Unfortunately, the drive to earn a living off meaningful, quality writing projects will not always bring you to them. And with every dead end and every flat tire the above thoughts become less and less absolute. The line between a writer’s personal value and need and want for economic value becomes more and more relative. In these cases, a writer may then think: my need for an income justifies my selling gossip; perhaps I can bring more substance and style to this profitable genre; I’ll gossip to gain popularity, then will have the following to write what I want.

Now this sort of thinking can go terribly wrong. For example, Jim Cramer, once a journalist and investor, better known as the host of CNBC’s Mad Money, tried to cash in on the celebrity gossip market when it started getting hot in 1996. He developed a site, MainStreet.com, with regularly updated articles on celebrity stories and, based on each story, provided financial advice. An article on a celebrity pregnancy, for instance, may be followed by tips on budgeting for a newborn.

But without balance, tastefulness dissolved. For one tacky example, Main Street used Heath Ledger’s untimely death to introduce tips on estate planning. (Source) As this sort of poor judgment repelled views, Cramer reinvented Main Street, saving it from heading completely downmarket. Now the focus is on celebrity’s economic endeavors.

Perez too has made costly calls. In 2009, he received strong backlash when, after Michael Jackson went into cardiac arrest before his death, Perez posted a blog claiming the illness was a publicity stunt. He has also “outted” many closeted gay celebrities; this upsets a large part of the gay community, a group he, as a gay man, should be respecting and connecting to.

Perez has also faced a myriad of civil suits; Britney Spears sued because he posted unreleased songs, Colin Farrell sued because he posted a link to Farrell’s sex-tape, Jennifer Aniston sued because he posted a photo of her topless, countless others in the industry have sued because he used photos and information from their media. (Source) And the litigation continues.

In these ways, Jim Cramer and Perez Hilton have both felt the damage done by focusing solely on profits, forgetting principles. While these examples have foundations that enable them to quickly bounce back, most writers do not have such secure bases.

It is for this reason that a writer must carefully weigh all options in earning an income from the written word. Look for projects that not only seem lucrative but that also suit your moral standards. And where this combination balances is different for every individual. As Perez admits, “I think what I do is noble." (Source)

Writing Rule:

Be true to yourself while looking out for yourself. To be a successful writer, it is important to pay attention to trends and be aware of what sells best. It is just as important, however, to maintain your merit. It is the writer’s challenge to find his/her comfortable balance between principles and profits.

Perez Hilton: a Terribly Unique Blog

(Image Source)

In my last post, I considered whether or not celebrity gossip was ethically responsible journalism. Wanting to further investigate, I (reluctantly) turned to one of today’s most widely known celebrity stalkers, Perez Hilton. Scouring his blog for information that could be newsworthy, I landed on a post about Kelly Osborne and, because I touched on the coverage of her sobriety earlier, gave it a read. This is what Perez had to say:

“If cold turkey keeps you looking and sounds so wonderful, than we say never go near the bubbly again!” (Souce)

Where is Kelly looking and why does cold turkey sound so wonderful? Also, I see no comparison so why is the word "than" jutting out of the phrase like a sharp dagger, piercing any writer's soul that nears. Perez, keep your tenses consistent and you are looking for the in that case "then".

My first thoughts: He makes a living off writing? How does he have so many followers?

Under my flurry of frustration, I felt relief--a comfort found in the confirmation of my earlier post. I was right, in most cases, celebrity news does not meet journalism's mandate of “relevant truth telling in the public interest (Dale Jacquette, Journalistic Ethics, 2005, p.19).” And now adding to celebrity gossip's lack of professionalism--its writers and their lack of basic grammar skills!

It is possible that I am being harsh. I understand that the trend and definitely profession of blogging is still trying to define itself. Blogging of course need not use strict academic language, as a research paper may, and does not depend the same degree on social responsibility, as news writing does, but basic grammar is a must in any writing profession.

As a former freelance journalist, Perez, you should know that. Perez claims he began his blogging profession because "it was easy." (Source) In reality, however, in most cases, making a successful career out of blogging is a challenge. It, like most professional endeavors, takes great strategy and talent.

One man whose got that combination down is Darren Rowse, creator of Problogger.net, a blog focused on the blogging industry. The last numbers, in 2005, show him earning between $10,000 and $20,000 per month (Source). These profits, he emphasizes, do not simply come from the one blog, but rather from over 20 of them (Source).

He explains that a good blog takes careful consideration; it is imperative that decisions on platforms, networks, domain names, design, content, length, and titles are informed. Check out Problogger.net for a detailed guide to building a successful blog.

One recommendation common across the blogging board is to find a niche. Trying to write on too many topics in one blog can be distracting and unorganized and will take away from your content. Better to concentrate on one. That is, go deep, not wide.

I, for example, could have filled my blog with posts on my love for writing along with music and food and travel and popular culture, but then I am very difficult to follow. Instead, I stay focused and all those that share a passion for writing can read.

As Darren suggests, when finding your niche, think about what interests you, what is popular, the longevity of and competition around the topic, and whether or not there will be enough on the topic to keep you writing (Source).

I will give Perez this--his niche is well-chosen. He narrows the entertainment industry to celebrity news, a perpetual topic that so many share an interest in, and he is successful because of it.

Writing Rule:

Bloggers, be unique and be specific. And, please, know the difference between "then" and "than".

To Print or Not to Print…

(Image Source)

On yesterday’s short subway ride, I skimmed through the Metro’s stories. Chile is in crisis—awful shame, really; Bernado’s buddy, an army colonel, is arrested for several rapes and murders—disgusting. On a more uplifting note, Kelly Osbourne is still sober and—WOW! Dancing With The Stars has done her body wonders. And look how cute her and Luke Worrall are together.

While Kelly does look fit in the photographic spreads, I cannot help but find the size of the display a tad large. See, Kelly’s “new slamming body” is granted double the page space than Chile’s natural disaster. What does this say about the paper’s priorities? Is this story newsworthy? Further, is it ethical?

In this case, Kelly may not take much issue with the paper’s praise. Many celebrities, however, are often outraged by the press’ invasions on their privacy. One high-profile case that comes to mind is the coverage on Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas’ wedding. The magazine, Hello!, published photographs of the celebrity wedding without permission. As the high court ultimately ruled, the celebrity couple had the right to keep the details of their wedding private.

While journalism often requires prying into people’s lives to be able to deliver truthful, relevant information to the public, Hello!’s prying in this case was not justifiable. Primarily, Hello!’s actions were not justifiable because the story was published to deliver celebrity gossip, fulfilling market wants and their bank accounts, instead of being published to benefit the greater good.

More simply, the private information they published was not relevant—a requirement the guideline for journalistic ethics insists on, especially in controversial cases like those concerning privacy rights (Source: Dale Jacquette, Journalistic Ethics, 2007). On the other hand, OK!’s publication of the celebrity wedding details is ethical because the information was voluntarily given to them by the couple (for a price, of course), releasing them from any privacy issues (see the image above).

While it would seem the couple, as they sold exclusive rights to OK!, was not overly concerned about the public viewing details from their wedding, they should still be in control of who is allowed in and who is covering their wedding. In fact, Catherine Zeta-Jones expressed Hello!’s invasion caused her great distress. Because the celebrity wedding does not constitute newsworthy information, the couple has to right to reserve their privacy.

While individuals have rights to their privacy, in many cases, these rights can be overcome by greater needs in the public interest. Giving the individuals all of the control in what information about them gets discovered would place great limits on the press. A political figure lying to the public, for instance, could protect those lies by forbidding any investigations into his life on a claim for privacy. In cases when just cause for investigation is present, it is important that journalists have the power to uncover important (potentially dangerous) truths.

Writing Rule:

Herein lies the scale on which journalists should weigh their motives for invading privacy. As a journalist, you should be searching for legitimate news, news that enables the public to make good political decisions, when potentially invading one’s privacy. So, resist the lure of the beautiful bods and wealthy weddings.

No Bunnies Near Biff

(Image Source)

Matt, Mark, Luke, and John have told us all about Jesus’ first and last years. Now Biff’s here to fill in the Bible’s gaps in Christopher Moore’s wickedly witty novel “Lamb: The Gospel according to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal.”

Brought back from the dead, Biff provides both a hilarious and irreverent recount of Jesus’ life from childhood to crucifixion. After first meeting in Nazareth, the mischievous Biff and the principled Jesus, then known as Joshua, quickly become best buds. Through Biff’s casual descriptions of their childhood together, Moore creatively brings new human qualities to Joshua.

Biff discusses their boyhood crushes on Mary of Magdala, or Maggie, their games of role-playing Moses and Pharoah, and how the “Prince of Peace” would sometimes smite him. The story reaches its climax, however, when the duo decide to seek the Three Wise Men to help Joshua understand his fate.

Moore combines adventure, absurdity, and hilarity as we travel from page to page with Biff and Joshua through the Orient. The two study various religions throughout their journey, Joshua focusing on the spiritual aspects and Biff taking a particular interest in the erotic. Of course, the pair was a part of a several side-splitting escapades, involving Balthazar’s hungry pet devil, the Hindu Goddess of destruction, and Yeti, among others.

Throughout, Moore uses biting anecdotes to cleverly account for the well-taught Catholic stories. When Joshua fights his feelings for Maggie, for instance, he eases his frustration by petting a rabbit and reveals the origin of the Easter Bunny, "Henceforth and from now on, I decree that whenever something bad happens to me, there shall be bunnies around."

Moore clearly uses an extensive knowledge of the religion to make clever light of the sacred subject. While devout Catholics may consider his work blasphemy, anyone who can accept this for the humorous fiction it is, will praise the day they read Moore’s “Lamb.”

Writing Rule:

Some may toss Moore aside once meeting his sarcasm (but who are these people who can quit a book before end anyway?!); alternatively, many, including myself, probably identify instantly; and all those on the fence surely grow an appreciation for his style by the end of his novel. Read his words and you can picture his real life character.

For helpful tips on putting your character in your words, check out writing coach Joanna Young's free e-book, The Courage to Hear Yourself Sing: Five Takes on Authentic Writing, at her blog: http://confidentwriting.com/.

The more someone feels they know you, the more they want to read from you. Don’t be shy. Find your voice and sing it loud.

Inspirational Garbage

(Image Source)

A slim bottle of ice wine stands tall next to a baseball cap on my coffee table. It’s like the CN Tower and SkyDome have plopped themselves right in my living room, calling me out, luring me downtown. Surrounding them are piles of crumpled papers—the snow in the city streets, maybe. And buried in the snow lies the third Harry Potter novel. That must be….the Eaton’s Centre. I could really use some new mittens.

No. No. No. No more dreaming. They’re not snow mounds—they’re failed attempts at brainstorming for blogs. And the wine and the book—well, they are last night’s distractions. It’s all a mess in need of cleaning, but not before I’ve de-cluttered my mind.

It’s really crappy, being mentally constipated. Some crafty little thing snacks on my creativity and leaves concrete. Some call it writer’s block; I call it apprehension. Seeming to agree, Seth Godin, a marketing guru, says, “The only thing that prevents your creativity from showing up is fear. Fear of being laughed at, fear of being wrong, fear of seeming uninformed. (Source)

These insecurities can be difficult to overcome, especially when writing for the World Wide Web and the millions it connects to. Yes, a public blog is open to be attacked by thousands of faceless critics; it is also just as open to support. Potshots or praise, we do not know until we post.

More focused, I am reminded by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban of a speech J.K. Rowling gave at the 2008 Havard commencement, "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination." She admits that her fear of failure landed her in a dark place during her youth and it was only the experience of failure that guided her to success. In her words, “Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential.” She continues, “Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive." (Source)

The fear of failure, the creativity-sucker, the blocker of writers, the apprehension only cripples us. A bit of backward movement can motivate us to push forward, but we definitely won’t go anywhere if we don’t make a move.

In terms of writing, when we’re stuck, we need a good flush. We need to free ourselves of fear and follow the flow. Only then can we transform a weekend’s garbage into Toronto’s skyline—or at least find a topic to blog on.

That’s it! I’ll write about writing.

Writing Rule:

Don’t let the white screen mock you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Post fearlessly.