New Media vs. Old Media

On last night’s 11 p.m. Action News, consumer reporter Nydia Han presented a long, adulatory piece on Kildare’s restaurant-chain founder Dave Magrogan’s side career in motivational speaking. His “Rhino Living” program (“Why walk when you can charge!”), to which he attributes his business success, teaches followers how to “control their destiny and make a difference in the world he calls” … “The Jungle”! Han had Rhino-ites on-camera describing the difference Magrogan’s methods have made in their lives; by the end, she was cheerleading so much she was practically doing back flips. At which point the camera cut back to the studio, where stoic ol’ Jim Gardner was sitting beside Han. He eyed her sideways and said dryly, “And we’re reporting on this, not endorsing it, right?” There was a pause while Han rearranged her face from its customary mile-wide smile. The moment made us cheer for Gardner … and seriously worry about the future of journalism.