If you were to look at the url of yesterday’s journal post you would notice it doesn’t match the title of the actual post. The reason being I was going to get into something I almost posted, but ended up trashing, which was…
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…a post regarding the rumor Tom Cruise might star in Star Wars: Episode VII. It was a story that originated from The Sun out of the UK, an outlet that rarely if ever posts anything of merit and it was all based on the fact Cruise was in London and had dinner with J.J. Abrams and other members of the Star Wars team, which are currently shooting in London, where Cruise will soon begin filming Mission: Impossible 5, which Abrams is producing.
Clearly the story has no merit and I would have written as much in the post, which then begs the question, “So why post it at all?” The answer, obviously, website traffic, which translates to ads, which translates to money. The question is, at what point do you sell out for money and begin posting items you know to be false? At what point is all integrity lost? Are posts published under the guise of speculation worth it if the content is clearly bogus?
Another story going around today is speculation over the delay of Star Wars: Episode VII as a result of Harrison Ford breaking his leg on set, which is going to keep him in a cast for about six weeks, a really long time when it comes to filmmaking. The speculation is all fan-based, there are no legitimate sources reporting the possibility of delaying the film, nothing from the studio, Abrams, no one…. So, is it speculation worth reporting and where does it end?
Does it end with me asking, “Will Nathan Fillion replace Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode VII?” It’s merely a question, I’m not suggesting it’s true, but it’s possible. I mean, why wouldn’t Fillion replace him. Or maybe Dennis Quaid could replace him. I could even include a poll:
Again, who “should” replace him. None of this is guaranteed to happen and I haven’t said as much, but just how much of this can we tolerate from outlets we’re supposed to consider and look at as legitimate?
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel a sense of responsibility to at least not lead readers astray and I’ve begun to feel that responsibility more and more as of late. For example, I only reported the David Oyelowo rumor recently because he had been rumored previously, so it made sense, as did the plot rumors. Yes, that post was largely a traffic grab, but it at least made sense.
I don’t know, am I too sensitive to it? Am I being more hypocritical than I think? Should I be posting this junk or would it bring the site down a notch if I did? As always, it’s a question of money, and ironically enough I’m asking my audience that was kind enough to contribute their own hard earned money to the cause so am I preaching to the choir?
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