IS THERE NO MORAL INTEGRITY IN JOURNALISM ANYMORE????
The Creative Loafing's cover story on the youth heroin "epidemic" in Atlanta (ironically following the "College Guide" issue) is exactly the kind of daft nonsense that after-school programs are made of. Poorly executed. Out of touch. And serving as a not-so-covert handbook on how to get high.
Not to mention the cover is illustrated like a fucking comic book (target audience?):
On top of all that, they go ahead and provide prospective users with exactly which neighborhood* ― with directions! ― in Atlanta sells the best smack.
Maybe I'm a hard-ass. Maybe I'm just getting older. Maybe this shit comes a little too close to home and I know exactly how I would read this article 5 years ago. It's just that I find it painfully careless to disregard the kids that might read stuff like this and go right to the Bluff to score some dope. There are so many ways to be informative sans enabling. Haven't you been around for the last 20 years?
Thumbs down, CL. You're better than this.
*My ex-user/ex-dealer friend used to sell directions to the Bluff for $50, so thanks for the freebie, I guess.
3 comments:
Hmmm. Well, I think Mara Shalhoup is an excellent journalist and I generally trust anything she writes to have integrity. You can't really write about the increase in heroin-related deaths without mentioning the one place in town the drug is usually purchased - and while it doesn't seem to be a widely-available drug in Atlanta, obviously if someone wants heroin they are going to get it one way or another, with or without the Bluff's mention in this article.
I think it's an important article because of the rash of heroin ODs in Atlanta - I think a lot of people don't realize how easy it is to OD, and especially here where it's not a common drug there just aren't as many savvy users (a good thing). There also aren't as many "this could happen to you" cases as well (also a good thing) so it's good that the article shows how easy it is to fall into and how hard it is to get out of. I didn't think it glamorized heroin at all, either, like a lot of journalism on drug abuse can do.
Anyway, those are my two cents...but I was reading it more objectively. I agree that if it hits close to home the reaction could be way more volatile.
Oh, and I want to add that the graphic is totally stupid. Probably some intern came up with that and thought it was so badass.
While I agree that it is extremely important to inform people how easy it is to OD from heroin, and the rising prevalence, I feel it was completely unnecessary to point out exactly where you can go to score. It's a fine line, I know that - it's all information. And I completely agree that Mara Shalhoup is a great journalist. It's just not quite the smartest presentation I've seen. But you're right, it's difficult for me to read the article objectively. Hopefully it will prevent at least one person from a life of addiction.
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