The Press Disappoints Me Sometimes...

[ziasudra]

I'm rather disappointed at the press lately. Yesterday, I was informed that the Italian press gave away the ending of the last Harry Potter book. Then it was one of the Chronicles that blatantly printed spoilers. Today, I woke up to a newsflash that The New York Times had also printed spoilers. Can't tell you what, since I decided not to visit nytimes.com -- or any news site for that matter. The media is ruining the Potter ending for all of us :\

As a response, The Leaky Cauldron (leaky_cauldron on LJ) called a letter writing drive here. Or as copied and pasted below, since the site has been running on snail speed for the past hour:


New York Times Posts Spoilers: Call for Letters

As many of you know, the respected newspaper The New York Times has posted an early review and more details of the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. As many of the staff here has worked in media or journalism at some time, we’re very disappointed in these actions and make this post as a full staff. From your emails and notes, we know you are disappointed, too. If you would like to express your disappointment to the newspaper, do so at letters@nytimes.com. In fact, if you would like a letter to copy and paste, or use to work from and add your own sentiments, please feel free to use the below. We’ve just sent ours off, and hope you will do the same.

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to express my disappointment that your publication printed an early review and details of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This goes against the express wishes of the author and anyone that calls themselves a true Harry Potter fan.

It is hard enough for a Harry Potter fan to avoid spoilers on the Internet and news stations now that the book appears to have leaked; now we have to avoid trusted outlets as well. You’ve not only disappointed millions of children around the world with your actions, you have disappointed the millions of adults who look to the New York Times to be a bastion of good taste and standards. When the New York Times succumbs to such tabloid tactics, who won’t?

Many ask why we care – why fans aren’t all so rabid to get the book that we’ll sop up any illegal download or purchase. There’s one simple answer: We respect the author. We thought that a newspaper like yours, where so many of your reporters become authors themselves, would understand and respect that. We’re so saddened that we were wrong. We feel let down by you and your editorial board.

Sincerely,

Your name here
Harry Potter Fan, and member of Jo’s Army


I'm sending a different letter, since I want to write as someone who's both worked in the online media, print media (Publishers Weekly, anyone?), and online fan/blogging communities. But if you don't have the time to compose your own letter, I'm sure just sending in the above text would make an impact too.

Comments

[ptyx.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the article, but some people who read it says it doesn't spoil the book. Besides, no one is forced to read any reviews. I've been avoiding reviews for all my life because I hate spoilers. So... I disagree with this protest, and think it's detrimental to the image of HP fans.

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I see your point. Though one thing I heard was that the "spoiler" hinted at what the title means, and although it doesn't say how it's resolved, it's still more than I'd personally liked to know.

And from a reliable source, the article and headline are what you see first when you enter the nytimes.com site. Kind of hard to avoid that, no?

It's just, for me, there's a much better way to handle a book review than flashing one or more pieces of potential information that at least one fan (me, among others) doesn't want to know. From the short time I've worked there, Publishers Weekly does an admirable job at that, so there is a way to publish a sensational book review without doing what the Times does.

And from an editorial point of view, I think the editor made an error in choosing to break the news over building up the news -- the former can be done carelessly while the latter, imho, can result in just as enticing a story while still working within certain boundaries of JKR's wishes.

That's why I'm protesting, and that's why I'm writing my own letter, because no matter what, a form letter is not going to be able to exactly express my sentiments.

[ptyx.livejournal.com]

I still don't agree, but respect your opinion. And I'm not trying to create polemics, but because I know you like to discuss such themes, I'd like to point you to eponis's post, here (http://eponis.livejournal.com/305094.html).

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

Nope, no polemics, and thanks for the link (I just read it in between clicking "refresh" on the new lj_biz comm, heh). I can definitely see where both you and eponis are coming from.

Hopefully I didn't come off sounding like a mindless drone following TLC around. There's a reason I wanted to write my own letter -- otherwise I'd send their form letter, quick and easy :p

*returns to refreshing*

[winnett.livejournal.com]

I sent my letter off. What crappy/poor taste that they published that stuff.

BTW, I finally friended your personal journal. :) You never post anything in your fic journal so I followed you here. Hope you don't mind.

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

*waves*

Hello! :D

I used to update this journal everyday religiously, but that was before I started working two jobs. Still, I try to update here whenever I can, if only to let people know I'm still alive *g*

Since I don't have a bunny icon, have a kitty XD

[winnett.livejournal.com]

Two jobs! I did that back when I graduated from college and it was a pain the in the butt. But the money was nice at the time.

I look forward to reading your journal. I, fortunately or unfortunately, update my journal OFTEN. Almost daily, except for weekends.

Yeah for kitties! The kitty in my icon looks almost exactly like my fat cat (she is over 17 lbs).

Thank you for the lovely kitty. :)

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

Cute kitty! If my roommate isn't dangerously allergic of cats (as in hives everywhere, throat closes up :p), I'd want to get one too. I've lived with two cats -- one "step cat" and another one in a family I used to live with.

Don't know how I'm going to survive tomorrow. I work from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., and then it's a gathering at my apartment before we all head out to the bookstore. I have every intention to stay up after I get my book to read, but I'm not sure if that's going to be humanly possible...

[so-severus.livejournal.com]

lame :(

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

My fear is now that NYT has broken the news, other press will follow and will do a less professional job about it. Not much to worry about for us since 90% of Potter fans I know will have the book read by Saturday. But we aren't most people, and mainstream media has no LJ-cuts :\

[so-severus.livejournal.com]

yeah


ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

almost time

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

*checks time*

*is excited*

[so-severus.livejournal.com]

ps - games night if you're interested
this sunday at 4:30 pm then dinner at silk road
let me know if you can come :)

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

I probably can't come :\

But if anything changes, I'll let you know!

[nenyaentwhistle.livejournal.com]

i read the article, well skimmed it and it didn't really spoil the book, although it did hint at a few things that would be better left unsaid. i'm not buying the book cuz i'm poor now that i'm a med student. i have it on hold at the library, but i think i'll get to read it in maybe 2 weeks, a month at most. i hope so anyway. i might just cave, though, and buy the book :D

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

I'm buying the book, at full price because I want to get it signed by the cover artist :)

I think what troubles me about the article is that I know there are a good number of people upset about the "hints" and consider themselves spoiled because of that. It's a hard call -- I doubt they have a "HP specialist" to do a final review before printing the book review, and certainly people don't have to read it. But from what others have told me, the title of the article is quite telling in and of itself, and it's very much visible on the front page of the NYT Web site. Lots of little things... but they do add up, you know?

Not that I'm absolutely unspoiled myself. There was someone who used one of those flashing icons with names of who dies in Book 7 in a Starbucks comm's discussion! AFAIK, baristas has nothing to do with HP! Luckily I've been warned of this and as soon as I saw the first name, I looked away. Now I just need to hold out for less than 30 hours...

[meine-liebe.livejournal.com]

I'm avoiding everything until tomorrow XD

but yeah, they could at least wait until the book is out or not to have even a little hint.

ps. thank you for beta-ing my fic XD i'm glad you enjoy it too.

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

I'm taking a break until all the Book 7 frenzy is over. But the others are coming ^_^;;

[polykleitos.livejournal.com]

I have no problems with the book reviews (seriously, if I read book or movie reviews, I expect to be spoiled) or even the articles written about the leak that includes photos or plot details from the leaked version. I think it's perfectly within the rights of the newspapers to print whatever they'd like; I don't see why they need to take JKR or Harry Potter fans into account. (Besides, the NY Times book review really didn't give away any important plot points, in my opinion.)

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

Point taken. And yet... something just didn't sit right with me regarding this particular issue, so I'm going to revisit it when I finish reading DH and so can read the review without fear.

I was spoiled for Book 5 and Book 6, and partially for Book 7 with all the shinies dazzling in front of me, so I know my reaction wouldn't be one of devastation if someone were to leak what I consider vital information of the book to me -- I'll probably enjoy the book anyway. So this isn't a frenzied reaction. But if I were the editor, I might have wanted to cut out parts that people are getting so angry over, like the headline and its prominent position on the Web site, or other trivial but important editorial decisions like that.

I dunno... I guess I'll wait until I read the thing to know. It's less than a day away!

[sad1225.livejournal.com]

I can leak spoilers too! After all, they secretly released the last Potter book 2 days early here in Austria and my German is just good enough to figure out the high points.

In other words, I can make up stuff too.

And if I were responsible for maintaining the security of something like the Harry Potter books, I would be leaking false spoilers through believable channels at regular intervals.

You should know better than to fully believe anything you read. Even from the NY Times.

--

This line of reasoning works great because even if they are real spoilers you don't know that for sure until AFTER you've read the book ;)

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

Hee! To be fair, the actual copy of Book 7 was leaked a week ago and has been floating around the Internet for anyone to grab. I honestly think I haven't read it yet only because I hadn't had the time to. It's like... everyone dangling "the book" with free access in front of me, how could I have not wanted it?

Alas, two jobs and campus stuff and maybe squeezing in food and sleep somewhere in there too... :\

[sad1225.livejournal.com]

My friend THUG wrote this:

"A friend of mine downloaded his off the net and he said that it was not real. He in fact downloaded 3 different copies and they all turned out to be wrong.

Go buy the book!"

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

There were indeed several versions of the book floating around for the past month or so, but the real one was leaked the Sunday before the actual book release date, affectionately termed the "Carpet Book" because it was many large files of digital picture taken from each spread-page of the physical book, which was place on a carpeted floor.

It was amusing to see this whole drama unfold. This was one of the times when the media was lightyears behind the Harry Potter fan communities because while most fans (at least the LJ-based ones) were able to tell that the Carpet Book was the real thing after just one or two chapters into the book, it took several more days before news of a copy of Deathly Hallows was "leaked" hit the press, since journalists and reporters had several purported copies of DH on their hands to sort through (ad dismiss?). Mainstream news didn't start fluttering in until Scholastic issued a subpeona in attempt to find the person who uploaded the Carpet Book (i.e., confirming that something more than fake versions was leaked to the public).

It was entertaining to watch the whole thing unfold ;)

And just to cover my butt in case any legal issues comes out: as I said previously, I had no time to read anything before the 21st, so my first read-through of Deathly Hallows was the actual, physical copy of the book, not the Carpet Book.

[sad1225.livejournal.com]

*laughs*

Carpet book!?!

Hahahahaha.

Oh my, I'm going to remember that one for a long time!