The Media Should Embrace Full Disclosure

by Melissa Clouthier | February 3, 2009 11:07 am

The old rule used to be that if you can’t do, teach. The new rule is that if you can’t do, become a TV “expert”. I’ve done enough media to be a total hypocrite about this, just for your information. But still, who thought it was a good idea to give Matt Millen Big Fat Loser Ex-President and CEO of the Detroit Lions an NBC gig discussing football? As if the man knows what the heck he’s talking about.

Seems the local press people in Detroit weren’t too impressed either. Their solution? Via the Free Press[1]:

Every time a certain familiar face showed up on camera Sunday during NBC’s Super Bowl pregame show, Channel 4 ran a scroll at the bottom of the screen:

“Matt Millen was president of the Lions for the worst eight-year run in the history of the NFL. Knowing his history with the team, is there a credibility issue as he now serves as an analyst for NBC Sports? …”

Hilarious. But good for Channel 4, not toeing the company line as it sought online comments from viewers on Millen’s gig. Or maybe it was just trying to distance itself from NBC’s brilliant move.

Now, this is some nice full disclosure.

Ed Driscoll[2] has a wonderful idea:

Of course, it’s too bad the networks don’t inform their viewers with similar warning labels applied to those working outside their sports divisions…

Yeah, how about that? So and so Talking Head is married to So and So who cheated with this So and So and worked in the Carter administration as this So and So. All these very insightful messages scrolling along the bottom of the screen. How great would that be? Isn’t full disclosure fun?!

Actually, I think this would improve ratings. Washington DC is a who’s who of sordid links–sex, financial, etc. It’s better than a soap opera. I’m liking full disclosure better and better.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com[3]

Endnotes:
  1. Free Press: http://www.freep.com/article/20090202/SPORTS01/902020356/1048?GID=1nPWoCPxM4Ldqlmqv14FUHiwIiXFUa5JS00H25HAUIo%3D
  2. Ed Driscoll: http://eddriscoll.com/archives/014905.php
  3. MelissaClouthier.com: http://melissaclouthier.com

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