Just when I thought I couldn’t hate MTV any more, it comes out with a new show called “The Paper.”
The show follows a high school newspaper in Florida and focuses on the drama of producing a paper.
The tension shown on the show is mostly social and has nothing to do with the actual production of the paper.
In fact, the way everyone gangs up against one girl is just a typical high school thing. As annoying as the girl appeared on the show, and who knows how much of that is due to the editing, she appeared to be the only one who was capable of stepping up and handling the leadership position.
In fact, from what I’ve seen, she’s the only one who does journalism-related things when she’s in journalism class.
Another MTV “reality” show, “The Hills,” is notorious for being staged. I feel that a lot of what’s going on in this new show is staged, or at least prompted.
During one sad scene, a member of the staff is talking about how he doesn’t like who was picked for the job of editor in chief.
Conveniently, the girl whom he is talking about is sitting a few feet behind him the whole time he is talking.
I feel that the presence of the camera probably creates more drama than is typical in a high school journalism class.
I will admit that in my experience, journalism isn’t always a cheerful place, but any discord is usually always related to the paper and not to social issues.
The first episode doesn’t even show any of the current editor-in-chief’s leadership.
Besides, the few seconds of a computer it showed, the audience really doesn’t get to see what the students are doing.
This show makes high school journalists appear petty and self absorbed. The only realistic aspect of this show is that it shows how tense high school is and how easily teenagers can turn against each other.
This show only serves to exploit the angst of high school in a new setting.
I fear that people will see this show and make false conclusions about journalists and the environment they work in.
MTV isn’t fooling me by trying to act like journalism is the cause of all of the drama. That’s just ridiculous.
They could have followed any high school team or club and seen the same results.