Newspapers Bring Wealth of Information, But Readers May Not Have Time to See It
In his Washington Post column, Michael Getler voices his concerns that readers don't take the time to read lengthy, multi-day articles, such as the three that appeared in the Post in December, the latest being the Dec. 27 three-part series titled "Death Watch: AIDS, Drugs and Africa." Getler writes, "Time is a problem for many of us these days, and it presents challenges to newspapers as well." But he adds, "[I]f you haven't read these articles, you've missed something special; the marshaling of investigative reporters, foreign correspondents, photographers and graphic artists to produce powerful, in-depth reports, almost routinely, that are out of the reach of most of the world's media and that only a very few of the best newspapers even attempt." The AIDS in Africa story described how global pharmaceutical companies have responded to the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Explaining the rationale behind the intensive pieces that require months to produce and yet don't produce advertising, Post Managing Editor Steve Coll said, "First, there are pure journalistic reasons, and it's also the right thing to do. ... It is essential for newspapers to do what others can't, and won't, do, and we are blessed with the resources to go after the big, complicated and important stories" (Getler, Washington Post, 12
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