I was sitting at my desk in the attic of Medill yesterday when I got into a discussion with a business student who is up here working on his own start-up. He was asking me who I think my target audience is with Project Goldfish and why these people would add another site to their daily digest of media. I started with my bit on covering the stories other news organizations ignore because of time or personnel restraints, shining a light on campaign donations and votes, and so on. My classmate looked at me with a puzzled look and said, “I think you should just write the stories people want.”
OK. I appreciate the concept of providing consumers with stories they want – thus, the customer surveys that were sent out this week – but that is just one part of the journalism equation. Reporters have a duty to hold politicians accountable, to tell the stories of Angelenos who lack access, to listen to the committee meetings and read the reports that no reasonable person would waste his time on. Limiting my newsgathering to just the stories readers want would be a disservice to the organization.
It would also be a disservice to Los Angeles and its residents. Here’s the thing – about a year ago, my friend and I were hiking through Griffith Park. It was nearing sunset as we rounded the Observatory. I was going on about all the things I was going to miss about Los Angeles. I probably brought up ‘SC football games, my friends, the hydrangeas outside my apartment and breakfast burritos from Tacos Delta. And then I got myself all worked up, going on and on about the things that frustrate me about the city. The cracked sidewalks and overflowing garbage cans at Hollywood Boulevard and Vermont. The fact that gunfire is the soundtrack to South Los Angeles. The city ordinances that no one can enforce. Why do we accept failure in this amazing city? Why don’t we push L.A. to be as great as it is in songs and movies and teenagers’ imaginations? When I finally took a breath, my friend looked at me, smiled and said, “You’re describing love. You love L.A., that’s why it drives you crazy to see it fall short.”
It’s true.
Ever since I moved back to Chicago, I have had people tell me they can’t stand L.A.; they don’t understand why anyone would live there. I’ve had people literally laugh in my face when I tell them I covered politics in Southern California. I defend the city the way I would defend family but ultimately, I know that the people complaining about the smell in Venice or the price of a mediocre house or oh, the traffic! just don’t know the real Los Angeles.
This is a place where you can hike to the Hollywood sign (saved twice by Chicagoan Hugh Hefner) or visit the Batcave. Where else do you have mountains in the middle of a sprawling urban center? It’s a city where the best tacos come from trucks (and usually at 2 a.m.). I love that it’s the place where the DMV gave me the driver’s test in Spanish. (In fairness, I was rockin’ a killer tan from spring break at the time.) From L.A., you can get to snowcapped mountains in one direction and rolling vineyards in another. It’s a place where people are offended by youth gun violence and Angelenos sleeping in doorways; no one says, "That's just the way it is."
This is all to say that the content Project Goldfish will produce is intended to celebrate the city. It is an opportunity to see what makes this city great, and what can be done to move it forward. “Celebrate” does not mean positive fluff, either. I’m not a cheerleader and I’m not a glass-half-full kinda gal. Sometimes the truth is going to hurt, but transparency and honesty will light the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment