Both of these have been journalism then and now. Fluff pieces have existed since literally the earliest days of journalism. And obviously we have reporters still going to Afghanistan and Ukraine despite enormous risks to their own personal safety.
Don't forget journalism straight outta Moscow. One slip up and it's to the gulag with you. Screw that, I'd rather be sitting at home writing clickbait bs.
The problem is that too many people seem to want the clickbait stuff so it's not really worth it for other than ethical reasons since the amount of people paying for journalism is too small these days
There are literally western journalists in prison in oppressive regimes right now because they were there reporting on things. Meanwhile back in the day there were journalists musing on how the radical MLK was going to destroy American society and oppress white people when he’s done burning cities down.
Come on now, just because someone is poking fun at woke culture doesn't mean they're Ron DeSantis (the guy who from my understanding wants to ban trans people and is persecuting gay people as well).
I remember listening to a podcast from a NYT reporter near the start of the Russia/Ukraine war. This lady went to Russia and started interviewing draftees right outside of the recruitment offices.
May not be a war torn battlefield, but that definitely takes some balls.
Russian tanks: advance towards Kiyv
Russian journalists: no longer welcome in Ukraine
Petr Ruzavin: knows exactly where he needs to be
Everybody: expects Kiyv to fall
Police: frantically gathers all the resources they have to defend the city
Also police: laughs together with Petr Ruzavin interviewing them
Kharkov region: liberated
Petr Ruzavin: there and reporting
Kherson: liberated
Petr Ruzavin: reporting and celebrating with Ukrainians
Kherson: flooded
Reporting from a boat: Petr Ruzavin, of course
After the war is over, this guy needs a biopic and a statue. While he's still alive, because I seriously doubt his mortality at this point.
I mean if you can get away with raking in 100k a year typing out listicles on why spongebob is homophobic, from home, in your underwear, between reruns of Suits, popping chips into your mouth, fuck, have at it
Spongebob turned me gay, DnD made me a satanist, Counter Strike a school shooter.
Back in the day people just read some Goethe and killed themselves. Those were the good times