I first met Philip Caputo during “A Rumor of War.” And we were better acquainted during “DelCorso’s Gallery.” (About a photojournalist.) And we’ve since become good friends because I’ve read everything else too. Journalism, fishing, the Florida Keys, corruption, infidelity, and more. What’s not to like? If these sound intriguing, then belly up to Caputo’s latest, “Memory and Desire.” South Florida and the Florida Keys are the backdrop for this story, which is ironic because I’m about to launch another post about The Keys. I have a relationship to the place.
I love books about journalism written by journalists.
I still love journalism. And the good stuff remains, you just have to look a bit harder for it. A few days ago, I had an interesting conversation about the irrelevancy of The New York Times. How podcasts have taken over, and in large part, the Times follows what’s happening on the podcast circuit. This isn’t entirely cut and dry, but I do think the traditional models of journalism have made so many tactical errors based on ego and arrogance, that it’s no wonder they are in decline. Having said that, Joe Rogan ain’t no journalist. (Most likely something he would celebrate, as would his audience, as they continue to spread disinformation to tens of millions of 18-45 year old boys.)
This book winds through the life of a newspaper editor, his rocky marriage, his friend’s rocky real estate deals, and the twists and turns that come from leading a messy life. The protagonist is a Vietnam Vet who is scarred by the war and then becomes scarred by what happens when old flames reignite. There’s a bit of weather, a bit of casting for permit, and a great unraveling at the end. I don’t read many books like this, but I enjoyed this one. Made me want to hammer out something on deadline.
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You’ve drunk the koolaid, Daniel, using the “disinformation”, pro censorship invention. If mainstream media, like the New York Times, actually did investigative journalism anymore instead of just spewing government backed talking points, there would be a reason to believe they are still relevant. Most of it looks more like propaganda than it does news, and that applies to both extremes of the political spectrum. The Watergate advice still holds true, it’s not “follow the science”, it’s follow the money. Bye, bye.
Author
Exactly my point.
Danielsan, Florida Keys post…Can’t wait. Permit are perhaps the most difficult fish to catch on a flat – on a “fly.” Catching one over (20lbs)…Even harder.
Author
Man would I love to give that a go.
I’m a NYT subscriber, but it stopped being a great paper — at least for news and current events — years ago. It’s still decent bathroom reading when you think of it as an all-interest magazine. I continue to subscribe because it costs me $0.20/month, an offer that they undoubtedly give so that they can tell advertisers that they have great reach, and undoubtedly Toronto offers them decent ad revenue. Recently they offered me the rest of their revenue generating sections — most of which are chock full of advertorials ie “The Wirecutter”, but I do like the cooking section, as well as Review of Books….for another $0.20/month. So I now get the full paper under $5/year. If it was $10/year, I’d have to think it over.
But a lot like our recent election, the NYT is the “least worst”. Other venerable papers, ie the Washington Post, The Trib, LA times, SF Chronicle are worse. The USA just doesn’t have a good paper anymore. For real news coverage I go to the Guardian UK which just (finally) put up a paywall, but so far it seems to be worth it (and they also publish a fantastic weekly magazine). They haven’t succumbed to the issues that have created the collapse of the USA news media. CBC in Canada is not a bad outlet (though not a paper) but light for USA issues, plus the likely next federal government has committed to dismantling it.
I will look into Caputo. My upcoming period of idle time appears to be mostly laying flat which is lousy for reading, so a lot of this will be audio books, I’m afraid. But it beats the hell out of counting ceiling tiles.
Author
It’s been sad to see the decline. I love newspapers. I really do, but I was around when the bit conglomerates began buying them up. And the great slog to the bottom began in earnest. Watching as corporations gained the rights of citizens. The willingness to lose ethics, the willingness to lose accuracy in the face of speed. The insatiable pipleine of online content needing to be filled. The misguided moves into multimedia. The misguided moves into turning reporters into photographers, photographers into reporters, and both into filmmakers. I lost interest a long time ago. There is an arrogance to the big mainstream media outlets. They turn so many off with their egos and attitudes. The masses left them behind a long time, and the masses have proven they don’t much care for accuracy. They want emotion and entertainment.
Another part of this story is the demise of local newspapers. Seems there’s less and less local journalists to report on local issues. I used to draw editorial cartoons for my county and local newspaper, and the local reporting and cartoons encouraged accountability on the part of local politicians and influential parties on both sides of the political spectrum.
Author
Yes, the decline of local news has truly fuc%$# us. But, people have proven a love of being lied to, so it’s not a complete surprise.
Had to add this timely piece:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/nov/26/enshittification-macquarie-dictionary-word-of-the-year-explained?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky&CMP=bsky_gu
Author
I think about this all the time. How we have learned to settle for total shit, so the provider can maximize profit. You cant’ move five feet in America and not experience it. But again, when your populace reads at a 4th grade level what should we expect?