Let’s reward Paris Hilton for drunk driving
I’m not sure what annoys me more, the mere fact that ABC News was willing to pay Paris Hilton $100,000 for a post-jail interview, or the fact that doing so would basically be financially rewarding her for attending jail in the first place.
My main reason for hating when journalists offer interview subjects vast sums of money is the possibility that it could become a precedent in the US. As a journalist, I hate the thought of paying for an “exclusive interview” with a subject.
Yes, but journalism is just like any business. If you’re going to be successful, you have to make money. Obviously the folks at ABC believe they will make more than $100K by getting the interview. Is it reprehensible? Yes, absolutely. Is it going to happen anyway? Unfortunately, yes. It’s just a law of business: Profit is negatively correlated with morality.