Exposition
I got a letter this morning, asking for an exposition of my journalistic principals. I thought the exchange may shine some light on your faithful muckraker, submitted here for the prying minds of the readers.
The message and my response follow.
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Don Anthony wrote:
Curious how you and Bob Weir co-exist ;-)
Can you give me more information on your views, i.e.:
Gonzo journalism is a journalistic style, most famously used by Hunter S. Thompson. The term gonzo was first applied to Thompson's writing in 1970 by Bill Cardoso, a Boston Globe reporter who claimed the word had originated with the Irish in South Boston to describe the last man standing at the end of an all-night drinking marathon. Central to gonzo journalism is the notion that journalism can be more truthful without strict observance of traditional rules of factual reportage. The best work in the genre is characterized by a novelistic twist added to reportage, with usual standards of accuracy subordinated to catching the mood of a place or event. The reporter and the quest for information are central, with other considerations taking a back seat.
Gonzo journalism is an extension of the New Journalism championed by Tom Wolfe, Lester Bangs, and George Plimpton. "I don't get any satisfaction out of the old traditional journalist's view—'I just covered the story. I just gave it a balanced view,'" Thompson said in an interview for the online edition of The Atlantic. "Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American politics has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long. You can't be objective about Nixon."
In Thompson's work, the author's viewpoint is frequently distorted by consumption of drugs and alcohol (often noted in the article), but gonzo journalism is not about using drugs and alcohol. It has been said that it can and may have been used to support drug and alcohol usage with the premise of writing about an experience.
In literary terms, "gonzo" has been described by Douglas Brinkley as requiring virtually no re-writing, frequently employing scribbled notes, transcribed interviews, and verbatim telephone conversations. Other writers who have worked in "gonzo" mode include P. J. O'Rourke, and James Corkern.
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Don,
We are both boned-up on our facts and have a solid agreement of disagreement. I think there is a certain level of mutual respect between us. I respect his authority as my boss and editor and local champion of a particular school of thought. I feel that he respects me because I represent another prevalent ideology in this country and I represent it with an informed honesty. I also believe that, as a published novelist, he recognizes my virtues as something of a scribe, my ability to communicate through AP style (harder than you would think), and knowledge of the journalistic method. I'll say this much - we make for a hell of an interview team. Those politicos never know which way the questions are coming from!
As for the Gonzo tip, I'll say this: Dr. Thompson was journalism's wild man. A true outlaw who rejected objectivity because he believed the human experience is inherently tied to perspective. His work reflected that. As a feature writer, columnist and editorialist, he was free of any ethics scrapes and able to fully express his vantage point and opinions. His work has been called some of the most significant of the 20th century. I view his style as irreplaceable and without peer. I could never hope to mimic his immortal method, or walk the path of insanity as he did. Instead, I study his work and try to carry on his ideals of upsetting the status quo and fighting for the causes I believe in. And just to be clear, I do not do drugs. Too many people associate him with his characters Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, the drug-addled creatures of the night who put a savage burn on Vegas and barely lived to tell the tale.
The "Gonzo logo" that adorns my web log and fedora is nothing more than a talisman. As a young man I was inspired to become a journalist by Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, and I carry the insignia as a reminder of why I am where I am. That is as far as I take Gonzo. I reject objectivity in my column, simply because it is an "OP-ED" piece and requires my true opinion. However, Bob would be all over me if I were to inject opinion into any form of news copy. When I investigate or report, it is nothing but "who, what, when, where, why and how."
I do not allow my opinions or political views to hinder my objectivity as a reporter of the facts, or interfere in any way with the stories that I cover. There is plenty of room for commentary on the web and in my column. I would not be a reporter if I were unable to keep my opinion to myself when writing news. Thankfully, I had a very competent teacher who made sure I know the importance of objectivity in that category of writing. But as I've said to others before, turn to page six and I'll tell you what I really think.
Does that help?
Stephen Webster
The message and my response follow.
======================================
Don Anthony wrote:
Curious how you and Bob Weir co-exist ;-)
Can you give me more information on your views, i.e.:
Gonzo journalism is a journalistic style, most famously used by Hunter S. Thompson. The term gonzo was first applied to Thompson's writing in 1970 by Bill Cardoso, a Boston Globe reporter who claimed the word had originated with the Irish in South Boston to describe the last man standing at the end of an all-night drinking marathon. Central to gonzo journalism is the notion that journalism can be more truthful without strict observance of traditional rules of factual reportage. The best work in the genre is characterized by a novelistic twist added to reportage, with usual standards of accuracy subordinated to catching the mood of a place or event. The reporter and the quest for information are central, with other considerations taking a back seat.
Gonzo journalism is an extension of the New Journalism championed by Tom Wolfe, Lester Bangs, and George Plimpton. "I don't get any satisfaction out of the old traditional journalist's view—'I just covered the story. I just gave it a balanced view,'" Thompson said in an interview for the online edition of The Atlantic. "Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American politics has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long. You can't be objective about Nixon."
In Thompson's work, the author's viewpoint is frequently distorted by consumption of drugs and alcohol (often noted in the article), but gonzo journalism is not about using drugs and alcohol. It has been said that it can and may have been used to support drug and alcohol usage with the premise of writing about an experience.
In literary terms, "gonzo" has been described by Douglas Brinkley as requiring virtually no re-writing, frequently employing scribbled notes, transcribed interviews, and verbatim telephone conversations. Other writers who have worked in "gonzo" mode include P. J. O'Rourke, and James Corkern.
==================================
Don,
We are both boned-up on our facts and have a solid agreement of disagreement. I think there is a certain level of mutual respect between us. I respect his authority as my boss and editor and local champion of a particular school of thought. I feel that he respects me because I represent another prevalent ideology in this country and I represent it with an informed honesty. I also believe that, as a published novelist, he recognizes my virtues as something of a scribe, my ability to communicate through AP style (harder than you would think), and knowledge of the journalistic method. I'll say this much - we make for a hell of an interview team. Those politicos never know which way the questions are coming from!
As for the Gonzo tip, I'll say this: Dr. Thompson was journalism's wild man. A true outlaw who rejected objectivity because he believed the human experience is inherently tied to perspective. His work reflected that. As a feature writer, columnist and editorialist, he was free of any ethics scrapes and able to fully express his vantage point and opinions. His work has been called some of the most significant of the 20th century. I view his style as irreplaceable and without peer. I could never hope to mimic his immortal method, or walk the path of insanity as he did. Instead, I study his work and try to carry on his ideals of upsetting the status quo and fighting for the causes I believe in. And just to be clear, I do not do drugs. Too many people associate him with his characters Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, the drug-addled creatures of the night who put a savage burn on Vegas and barely lived to tell the tale.
The "Gonzo logo" that adorns my web log and fedora is nothing more than a talisman. As a young man I was inspired to become a journalist by Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, and I carry the insignia as a reminder of why I am where I am. That is as far as I take Gonzo. I reject objectivity in my column, simply because it is an "OP-ED" piece and requires my true opinion. However, Bob would be all over me if I were to inject opinion into any form of news copy. When I investigate or report, it is nothing but "who, what, when, where, why and how."
I do not allow my opinions or political views to hinder my objectivity as a reporter of the facts, or interfere in any way with the stories that I cover. There is plenty of room for commentary on the web and in my column. I would not be a reporter if I were unable to keep my opinion to myself when writing news. Thankfully, I had a very competent teacher who made sure I know the importance of objectivity in that category of writing. But as I've said to others before, turn to page six and I'll tell you what I really think.
Does that help?
Stephen Webster
