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.