PressEthic

Sometime after using the word "barf" for the second time in his article, Devin Gordon has this to say about Peter Jackson's new movie, King Kong:

Earlier this month, Jackson invited NEWSWEEK to New Zealand for an exclusive first look at the finished (OK, nearly finished) product, and he proved once again that he might be the only guy whose films are worth getting on a plane and flying halfway around the planet to see. If the 44-year-old Kiwi felt any pressure over following up "The Lord of the Rings," you won't find a hint of it on screen. Some critics will complain that the film's length is an act of Oscar-drunk hubris, but while "Kong" may be indulgent, it's not pretentious. And it's certainly never dull. Jackson has honored his favorite film in the best possible way: by recapturing its heart-pounding, escapist glee.

Now, Gordon's penchant for writing the type of copy that you see on movie posters shouldn't exclude him from the fraternity of arts reporters. After all, he's only following the trend at Newsweek: exclusive access equals positive coverage. It's a pretty simple formula, really, especially for those on the PR end of the line.

Don't just take my word for it, though. Look through the Newsweek archive, and this is what you'll see:

From a December 30, 2002 article on the two Matrix sequels that offered an "exclusive look behind the scenes of 2003's hottest flicks," Newsweek wrote:

" The ensuing sequence may be the most audaciously conceived, thrillingly executed car chase ever filmed. Sounds like hype, yeah. But you've gotta see this thing. The scene features two kung fu battles in speeding vehicles--one in the back seat of a Cadillac, the other on the roof of an 18-wheeler truck. There's also a heart-stopping motorcycle chase through oncoming traffic and enough wrecked cars to keep a junkyard in business for years. Fans will go particularly bonkers over one shot of an agent leaping from atop a moving car onto the hood of another and, with his feet, crushing the entire thing into a pretzel."

In a December 1, 2003 article, Newsweek estimated that "Judging from a recent NEWSWEEK screening in New Zealand, "The Return of the King" is a sure contender for best picture. More than that, it could be the first franchise ever that didn't, at the end of the day, let audiences down--either because of laziness, pretension, greed or other phantom menaces."

And with a cover story on August 2, 2004 that featured "exclusive interviews" with Apple's CEO, Newsweek declared that "In just three years, Apple's adorable mini music player has gone from gizmo to life-changing cultural icon."

Why the soft coverage in exchange for exclusives? The ability of culture and entertainment coverage to move newsstand copies probably has more than a little to do with it. But do journalists really have to make that Faustian deal to sell copies, and describe a film maker as "the only guy whose films are worth getting on a plane and flying halfway around the planet to see" or call a device that plays music "life changing"?

By giving arts and entertainment coverage a short shrift, Newsweek is bypassing the chance to offer serious coverage of the things that matter more to the everyday life of an average reader than the political spin du jour. Cultural news should not be ignored, but puff pieces for exclusive access is too high a price to pay.