• The Publisher’s Notebook •

Malibu and Media Mentality

BY ANNE SOBLE

Forget applying other city’s mottos, because one thing is certain: What happens in Malibu doesn’t stay in Malibu—not for a nanosecond, especially if someone can make money on it. It doesn’t matter whether something is true, partially true, or completely false. Say the word Malibu, and the world listens. None of us condones boorish, ignorant or otherwise inappropriate behavior that reflects poorly on a community whose image is already erroneously synonymous with excess in every form. Malibu does not need bad press. That is as true for local residents, as it is for those who come to enjoy our extraordinary beaches and those who come here to earn a living.
The same applies to breaking the law. Whether the law is the state paparazzi statute or laws on public nuisance and battery, enforcement should be the top public priority. As for those who are reporting on Malibu for whichever media, the news should be covered accurately and fairly. But it is beginning to look as if accuracy and fairness had no role when several celebrity websites got their hands on what may have been orchestrated footage of two brawls on local beaches last weekend. The altercations were described by these sites as taking place between so-called groups of paparazzi and surfers, and the labels stuck.
The rest of the media didn’t question the web designation of surfers, or try to interview people who were at the scene. The major so-called mainstream press pantingly glommed onto the videos. This is a classic example of what communications scholars call the media’s “pack mentality.” Someone breaks a news story, and all the other press run with it, often without fully checking it out. Speed is the name of the game. In less than an hour, this story was transmitted in every electronic form possible around the world. There were some occasional disclaimers, but the story was so hot that no one wanted to lose time authenticating the allegations.
There is also an apparent Malibu envy factor that creeps in whenever the community is covered. Perpetuation of inaccurate stereotypical notions of what Malibu residents and their lifestyle are like and use of blatantly incorrect information about the community riddle much of the media coverage. A lot of money changes hands in the world of celebrity publications, television shows, websites and blogs. That celebrity websites want to foster the pap packs’ agenda is not surprising. That the mainstream media now think they have to do the same thing in order to compete is a sad commentary on the current state of the press.