We’ve all been trying to figure out how to save the dying newspaper industry, trying to get people to care more and realize that papers are still relevant, but newspapers haven’t done perhaps the most important thing: a sexy ad campaign to air during the Olympics! Take a look at this ad for Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun. With a circulation of more than 14 million for its Japanese edition alone, Yomiuri has one of the largest circulations of any newspaper in the world. But this ad, showing Hiro, the lead singer for the Japanese band Exile flexing and wearing a tight wife beater, shows that this newspaper is f***ing serious.

The text in the ad is as follows:

What is real?
Is the thinking passionate?
Does it have the strength to move hearts?
REAL STRENGTH
Yomiuri Shimbun

So, if you want to sell papers, get a hot pop star, have him show off his sexy muscles and BOOM! You’ve got yourself a successful business. Industry saved.

Today I was listening to NPR at work while they were interviewing a McCain staffer about Barack Obama’s policies. The staffer went on to spout the McCain mantra that Obama is going to move us all into socialism. At this point the host interrupted the staffer briefly to remind the listener that they can sort out the truth of these claims by looking at the fact checking sub head under the Election 2008 coverage at npr.org.

Since when does a news organization not give us the whole story. I understand that with political reporting you have to be nice to both sides and let everyone have their  fair share and say their carefully scripted talking points. But if something is untrue and you know it’s untrue and you have the facts at your fingertips that tell everyone its untrue then why don’t you say something. Oh you might lose the uncredible source as a source? Damn. The campaign might not talk to you again? Shoot. It’s your responsiblity as a national news organization to inform your listerners (and readers) for innaccuracies as soon as they occur. Just like putting a correction in the newspaper, it’s your responsibility to say “Whoa, champ. The Socialist Party nominee is actually Brian Moore.”

I know that cultivating sources is difficult. It’s like becoming their best friend while at the same time remaining impartial. But if you know what they’re saying is an outright lie, untrue and will misinform your viewership it is your responsibility as a journalist to stand up and do what’s right. Call the staffers liars.

The other irony: I can’t even find this fact-checking page the host referred to. But it doesn’t even matter anymore.

Remember to vote tomorrow, every one!