Wednesday, I called the newsrooms of Pennsylvania's two largest newspapers.
All I got were disembodied voices telling me no one was available and to leave a message.
It was 11 a.m., and I thought someone--anyone!--should have answered their phones. But, with publishers doing their best to "maximize profits" by cutting news coverage and reporters, I figured they either didn't have anyone capable of answering a phone or figured no one would be calling with any news that day.
So I left a message. It was a routine question, specific for each newspaper and related to verifying information from their papers for a book I was completing.
I left another message the next day. I would have called individual assignment reporters, but unlike the websites of many smaller newspapers, the metros' websites didn't have that information. Apparently, they don't want readers to know who does what at their newspapers.
Nevertheless, no one called back. I wasn't important enough.
Calls and emails to an agent for an actor, who I was trying to get for a public service announcement for a national organization, a few weeks earlier weren't returned. Nor were calls and emails to a national talk show host I was trying to secure for a paid speech to a different national non-profit organization.
Nor were several calls and emails to the producers of pretend-folksy "Ellen" ever returned. In that case, I had a "straight-A" student, who was a mass communications major with minors in marketing and dance. She was one of the best students I had ever taught. She wanted to be an intern. You know, the kind who don't get pay or benefits but get experience. There were jobs available. It took several calls to others who were affiliated with the show just to find out the names of producers or contacts. But no one from the show returned any of my communications, whether by email, letter, or phone calls. Not even to say my advisee wouldn't be considered.
Celebrities and their companies get thousands of emails and phone calls. To the average citizen that would be overwhelming. But, to corporations, especially those who deal with the public, there should be sufficient funds in an operation that makes millions a year to hire staff to respond to viewer communications.
Most of the smaller media take pride in returning phone calls or responding to letters from readers and viewers. But something must happen when reporters and producers move into the rarified atmosphere of large media.
It's too bad. Big Media show arrogance to the people, and then spend countless hours wondering why the people don't trust them.
Unfortunately, the loss of civility isn't confined to those who are celebrities or part of the Big Media Morass.
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