J.R. shot Tony Soprano?

Along with this week's coverage of the final Sopranos episode and last week's unjailing/rejailing of Paris Hilton, many media outlets, notable Greater Boston, have had good discussions about the newsworthiness of these events and the general topic of the media's coverage of popular culture.

In 1980, I was editing the Saturday edition of a small, suburban newspaper. I had the first and second pages filled with local stories and a few wire service pieces. I had deliberately left out the UPI story about "Who Shot J.R.?" from the previous night's Dallas show. If anyone care about it, I reasoned, they would have watched the show or taped in on their Betamax.

The executive editor, who doubled as the sports editor, stopped by with the Friday night local sports articles, looked at the layout, and went bonkers. "You're leaving out the biggest story of the year," he shouted.

So, knowing the importance of the weekly paycheck, I found the executive editor's reasoning persuasive and made room for the J.R. story. I should note that I was making about $4.00/hour, close to what I could have made at the neighboring McDonald's. Every day, however, I had my name in the paper every day, spelled correctly and not in the police log. I even had a my picture above my occasional editorial column.

I'd probably make the same first decision again. Although I am a fan and a student of pop culture, these stories don't need to be everywhere all of the time. If I want the latest in sleazy intrigue, I don't turn to Jim Lehrer or our local weekly, The Landmark. Fox News Channel will certainly get me all that I need and can stand.