It has become a common belief that, to prove his competence on a talk show, a journalist must put the interviewee on the spot, confront him, expose him, and highlight his flaws and contradictions. A competent journalist, therefore, must masterfully play the role of accuser. If, for example, a journalist thinks a little differently and believes that his role is simply to try to draw out the best and most interesting aspects of the interviewee, allowing himself to take a back seat to the topic that should take center stage, he must be reborn in another era, for there is no room for such an approach in today’s journalism. A talk show exists to provoke clashes, interruptions, and leading questions. And the interviewee is there so that the audience can either acquit or condemn him.
Category: Notes
At First, It Is Discovering Oneself…
At first, it is discovering oneself as an agent, pushing one’s own abilities to the limit, until one feels them exhausted, insufficient. Then, it is recognizing the impossibility of relying solely on them, and the need for greater support. Such support is possible! But in order to realize this, man usually has to fail first. It is when the world comes crashing down, when effort seems futile and longing impossible, that a man is able to realize just how wrong he can be in his judgments.
Better Are Always the Words of One Who…
Better are always the words of one who does not allow himself to be dominated by a sense of self-importance, even if that sense has not been transformed into humility. Contempt, scorn, whatever it may be: anything is valid to nullify it, and any expression that contradicts it is more pleasing than the pride that may stem from it. The reader, even if not a philosopher, will always have an innate sense of the relative importance of a single human being in the face of creation. Therefore, vice, even if not consciously perceived, will produce the impression arising from its vicious nature. It’s that simple.
It Is Very Unpleasant to Witness…
It is very unpleasant to witness, while they are still alive, the example of these writers who end up losing their way through their involvement in politics. Success and talent attract attention; attention brings new friends, and these friends drag them into the ungrateful realm. When we see this in a deceased writer, the process seems less painful; we can simply ignore certain texts, or give them the little weight they deserve. When, however, the writer is still alive, we are not yet able to discern what will remain of his work. If we respect him, we want to read him, and the drastic change in his texts, the squandering of talent for so little, actually hurts. It is best not to give in to the impulse to speak ill of him; after all, a great work, once published, is a tangible achievement that no misfortune and no wretch can ever take away from an author.