The sight of the mainstream media picking up tabloid speculation about a Will and Jada Pinkett Smith breakup is distubing, writes Mary Elizabeth Williams in a commentary for Salon, “…the Smith story…illuminates how utterly pathetic the mainstream media’s mania for headlines has become. Just toss up any old dubious report, and if you’re really butt-covering, tack a question mark at the end of it. You’ve got a story!”
In a desperate attempt to fill space, Williams says, “A non-story becomes news. And more pointless effort is expended on fixing mistakes than getting the facts right in the first place.” -db
From a commentary in Salon, August 24, 2011, by Mary Elizabeth Williams.