We talked one night about the resignation of investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson from CBS News and some other recent, high-profile departures from national media organizations. Some left quietly; others, like Attkisson, made some noise. Then there is this video that CNN Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins made after losing her job. She is critical of CNN to a degree, questioning its decision to cut back on national affairs coverage, but also expresses her thanks for the opportunity she had with the network. The video has gotten more than 295,000 views on YouTube; I think it's great.
I don't know if Ryan Schuessler is sure that it can. His blog post, "I will not be returning to Ferguson," is thought provoking. A freelance journalist, he was in Ferguson, Missouri, in mid-August covering the killing of Michael Brown and its aftermath for Al Jazeera America. What began as national coverage of a tragic event quickly became a media circus, one that disgusted Schuessler to the point where he told his employer he was leaving.
"The behavior and number of journalists there is so appalling that I cannot in good conscience continue to be part of the spectacle," he wrote on Aug. 21, nearly two weeks after Brown was shot by a police officer. He highlights some of the most egregious behavior he said he witnessed, including another reporter who told Schuessler that he came to Ferguson as a "networking opportunity" and later asked Schuessler to take a photo of him with CNN's Anderson Cooper.
"We should all be ashamed, and I cannot do it anymore," he concluded. "I am thankful for my gracious editors who understand that."
I hope you'll take a minute to read it and let me know what you think:
http://ryanschuessler.com/2014/08/21/i-will-not-be-returning-to-ferguson/