Vox Dropuli

Been following the comical case of Greg Packer, the "Long Island Everyman" who has shown up in literally hundreds of newspaper articles as a typical Man on the Street? An inevitable journalistic response today, from Newsday columnist Sheryl McCarthy:

The fact that Greg Packer's quotes have turned up everywhere suggests that man-on-the-street interviews are worthless. As one of my colleagues pointed out: "What if there's only one man!" What's more, Packer's overuse suggests that it doesn't matter whom reporters talk to, as long as they get a quote from somebody. And since Packer's so available, why not just go to him and save ourselves some shoe leather?

I think the reason Packer is quoted so often is that journalists hate man-on-the-street interviews. It's demeaning to have to scan a crowd of total strangers, seaching for someone who looks like he or she might have something quotable to say, and won't tell you to get lost.

Coming soon: reporters are finally freed from the twin burdens of interviewing "people," and leaving their offices.

Link via Romenesko.

Comments

[Greg Packer]

Now that the cat's out of the bag, I'm going to take up fishing

[amr]

I was once interviewed for a man-on-the-street piece, but when I tried to compose a sentence, it was a piece of unintelligible nonsense. I think they quote Packer because he's good at off-the-cuff remarks.

[the skeptic]

sorry, but man-on-the-street interviews are pointless. they're thrown in as a way to "represent" the average person's point of view. But more often, a journalist takes his own perception of how the average person looks at it and then waits for someone to vocalize it.

in order to provide an accurate assessment of how the average person feels about a given issue, reporters would have to do a sample of random interviews, and, ideally, print all those points of view. Essentially, write another, different article.

[Plutarck]

I was also the victim of a man-on-the-street sort of interview - except I was in a restaurant with my family, so we had a communal sort of victim experience.

I have to say, coalescing your thoughts suddenly on the spot on something you hadn't put into words before is a real bitch - so yeah, I was useless, and my father did better...but basically ended up to seemingly contradict himself on his opinion (it was about the invasion of Iraq, actually, and we were on vacation). Of course a few minutes later we probably had far more intelligent and reasonable, understandable opinions that would have actually made great quotes. I came up with a good one, I thought.

Of course, none of those get quoted, because, you know, he had already left.

Makes you feel a lot different about how you view these people who get 'caught' saying all sorts of stupid, vapid, contradictory stuff in public; unless you are really skilled in this precise sort of thing, if you get hit with a question you hadn't considered before you are seriously screwed - which is why I am constantly discovering how to keep from making an idiot of myself. The rule is simple: if you haven't answered a question before and given that particular thing considerable thought, in your own best interests, don't think you'll just make up something on the spot that's sensible! You won't! As a matter of fact, you'll highly likely change your opinion majorly after just a few moments of consideration, but now the assholes of the public, themselves ignorant of this sort of thing and completely unskilled (and totally ignorant of their unskillfullness and ignorance) - or at least your opposition - will not bloody well accept that you really don't think what you said you thought a moment ago, or that you didn't really mean what it sounded like it meant when you said that thing you actually don't really agree with! Take that last sentance as a fine example of what I mean - you're just screwed.

So, in short, "Don't answer a question you don't already know the answer to - better yet, don't answer the question at all." This is the secret behind politicians not really answering questions, at least part of the time - they have learned the skill of knowing when you don't have a good answer ready to go, but rather than admit that and risk looking stupid, incompetent, or uncaring, instead dance around and not answer the question. This either gives you time to think up a proper answer, or just makes you look like a big fat weasle - which everyone thinks politicians are anyway, so you haven't lost face.

[Ron Hardin]

I hope they are not doing away with the Last Minute Income Tax Filer interviews, the New Year's Day traveler interview, or the Homeless Turkey Dinner interview at Thanksgiving. That's the essence of the form.

A tip of the hat also to Bereaved Family at the Airport interviews, replaced now by stories of Reporters Kept Away From ... reports. (``It's so bad that ...'') There are no reports of bitter divorces cut short by Tragic Airline Accident and Large Cash Payment, though it could be a standard story too. I don't know who makes up the templates for these events.

[Matt Welch]

My favorite is the consumer-at-the-gas-pump interview, when prices are going up.

GUY WITH OVERSIZED MICROPHONE: So, are these out-of-control gas prices forcing you to drive less?

LATINA WOMAN, LOOKING UNCERTAIN: Um, ... yes?

THEN, WITH CONFIDENCE: Yes! These prices, they're like, totally out of control. I mean, I'm definitely gonna drive less!

[Anonymous]

"Coming soon: reporters are finally freed from the twin burdens of interviewing "people," and leaving their offices."

Already here - Bloggers.

[Curt Warner]

As the reporter instructed the photographer at an airplane crash site, "Just find the nearest grieving widow."

I agree the generic man-on-the-street stories need to go the way of the dodo. But spending a few minutes with an actual person to get that person's thoughts on a topic can lead to some real insight. More insight than, say, your typical newspaper columnist usually offers.

[Lucas Wiman]

I have to agree about man-on-the street interviews. If I ran a paper, I think I'd follow the Onion's example...

[Bill Clinton]

"Fudge" Packer better not be first in line at my signing...I'll make him feel my pain.

He should only be the "man on the street" if there's a bus rolling over him.