In light of the media’s seeming need to give two sides to every gay wedding story, Romensko correspondent Constantine von Hoffman has a good suggestion.
All wedding stories — whether hetero, homo or metro-sexual — should include dissenting voices. Whether it’s the jilted spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend or just random family members/acquaintances who think couple X is a bad idea, this would more than enliven an otherwise dull story under the name of “fair and balanced” coverage. It would also make these stories “must reads” for all involved and fun for everyone else, too. Just think about the day-after follow up stories! Papers could start selling ad space on those pages to divorce lawyers, so that would expand the news hole by providing another revenue stream! By God, editorial will finally go hand-in-hand with the business side, as balanced journalism can start pointing to exactly how much money it is contributing to the papers’ bottom line. This could be print’s answer to Reality TV! Woo HOO!!!