The Stepford Wives

A number of years ago, having a premonition with regards to the evolution of the news media, I decided I would no longer do interviews. It was a decision I did not make quickly, it is a choice I do not take lightly: Despite this action on my part, there remains a number of journalists and would-be journalists who do not get the message, who refuse to leave me alone, with regards to this matter. Those who persist, those who attempt to get me to submit to an interview, are met with a firm, but polite rejection.

Several months ago, despite being told 'no' more than a dozen times, a young female journalist with apparent aspirations of becoming the next Barbara Walters or Jane Pauley or whomever, took it upon herself to get me to do an interview. I admit her determination is to be applauded and respected, but the methodology by which she attempted to force me into doing this only served to negate her respectability and credibility: When she finally came to the certain fact and truth I would not do an interview with her she decided on a new tact: Instead of interviewing me she would interview people who knew me, and from their interviews she would compile a non-interview with me. It is a practice that is undeniably questionable, especially when it comes to professional morals and ethics.

Because it was and is so I decided something should be done to preserve the integrity of the interview process: When I learned of her intentions by way of a friend who had been contacted by her and been told of her intentions, I asked if he had plans to be interviewed by her. He told me he had no such plans unless, of course, I was receptive to such a thing.

I told him I was. But with a condition or two: He had to get at least six other people to agree to do this and I had was to be allowed to be in attendance.

You see, this would-be interviewer was not the only one who had done a certain measure of research on a given topic or matter: In researching her I found out she had never met me, and had no idea whatsoever what I looked like.

Consequently she would not be aware or conscious of who was in the room with her unless introductions were made.

They were not: Eight people waited for her when she arrived. None of them were actually introduced to her beyond a superifical explantion of 'moral support' for the one person who was actually going to be interviewed.

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