What Journalism Can Be

I wrote a post last week about the NY Times coming in to Minnesota and snatching a significant story about Minnesota doctors accepting money from drug companies…and then showing a greater propensity for prescribing those drugs to children.

It was useful to me at the time for pointing out how lame our local gang over at the Strib had become, especially because they reprinted the Times story in a much shorter form–consistent with their strange mantra that the readers of their newspaper really don’t like to read all that much.

In our zeal to celebrate the triumphs of good journalism, though, we sometimes forget what the real purpose of good journalism is: to change things that ought to be changed, and to help people who ought to be helped.

There’s a terrific story on Salon today, written by Rake contributor Ann Bauer, about her son, who had been prescribed some of the drugs mentioned in the Times’ story, and the horrors her son and she have since had to endure.

Two sides of the same story. Two remarkable pieces of journalism. Please take the time to read them. You may have to register, and even pay for Times Select to see the Times story, but damn, it’s worth it.