Off Topic: David Carr and the New York Times

In Journalism 1, we were divided into groups to research various subjects that would pertain to a movie we were about to watch that day. The movie (a documentary, actually) was titled Page One: Inside the New York Times. Our group was tasked with the research of David Carr (not the quarterback), who is a columnist for the New York Times.

I have to say, I judged Mr. Carr too soon. During the research, we discovered he had a history of drug abuse, relationship troubles, and welfare. I have a habit of making inaccurate assumptions. Watching the documentary, one can't help but be captivated by David's personality. He's smart, tough, comical, and somewhat abrasive. He's a man who's made some bad decisions and has learned to live with them.

My favorite quote from the movie is what Mr. Carr says to Shane Smith, co-founder of VICE Magazine "Just because you put on a fucking safari hat and looked at poop doesn’t give you the right…" after Shane attacks the New York Times for not reporting on relevant topics, like the atrocities in Liberia. I'm a huge fan of the Vice Guide to Travel series (and Shane Smith) but David just made him look like such an asshole, it was priceless.




 The above video is a pretty accurate description of David's personality, minus the comedy and abrasiveness.

I really enjoyed the documentary and would recommend it to anyone who is unsure of what the history is for the mainstream media. I liked how it outlined what the average day is for an employee at the New York Times is. Also, the process involved for getting stories to print was fascinating. It's playing at the Cinematheque right now, check it out!