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JMS: Why TV?

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JBONETATI

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Oct 26, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/26/99
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JMS,

You may have noticed that many of us are scrambling to collect videos, DVDs,
magazines, books and scripts of B5 and Crusade.

With all of the media that you've worked in, why have you chosen to tell so
many of your stories on TV? Isn't that awfully ephemeral for the breadth of
story you tell?

Thanks, as always,

Jan


Jms at B5

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Oct 26, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/26/99
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>With all of the media that you've worked in, why have you chosen to tell so
>many of your stories on TV? Isn't that awfully ephemeral for the breadth of
>story you tell?

It's an ephemeral medium but a pervasive one; it hits millions of people at a
time. A best selling novel reaches 100,000 people or so; at its worst, the
average B5 episode was seen by 10 *million* people here in the US alone. If
the task of the writer is to tell stories to the largest number of people, then
TV gives you that ability.

And why abandon such a powerful and pervasive medium to the visigoths?

jms

(jms...@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com

JBONETATI

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Oct 26, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/26/99
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<< A best selling novel reaches 100,000 people or so; at its worst, the average
B5 episode was seen by 10 *million* people here in the US alone. >>

::sigh:: yes, but a book you can re-read at leisure without the distraction of
commercials.

<< If the task of the writer is to tell stories to the largest number of
people, then TV gives you that ability.

And why abandon such a powerful and pervasive medium to the visigoths?

jms>>

Well, for that I'm sure we have to be grateful. I know I must miss some good
stories simply because I can't abide having my intelligence insulted every 8 or
9 minutes. At least somebody's trying to maintain some quality.

BTW, I enjoyed "We Killed Them in the Ratings".

Jan


Jms at B5

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Oct 26, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/26/99
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>::sigh:: yes, but a book you can re-read at leisure without the distraction
>of
>commercials.

That's why god made VCRs.

>BTW, I enjoyed "We Killed Them in the Ratings".
>

Thanks...I don't do that many mainstream stories, but that was one I enjoyed
(if only to take a shot at TV in general).

JBONETATI

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Oct 26, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/26/99
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<<That's why god made VCRs.>>

Hallelujah and amen, brother!

<< but that was one I enjoyed
(if only to take a shot at TV in general).

jms>>

May I ask how you really feel about the 'journalist as recorder/observer, not
participant' question?

Thanks,

Jan


Mark Maher

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Oct 27, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/27/99
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JBONETATI wrote in message <19991026213710...@ng-cr1.aol.com>...


I think that jms has already answered that one with the two different episodes,
"And Now For A Word" and "The Illusion Of Truth."

In the first one, "And Now For A Word," he depicted a journalist doing her best
to get an even-handed and accurate depiction of events that had recently
occurred on Babylon 5. She was everything that a good reporter was supposed to
be, annoying, invasive, persistent, with her own biases and definitely not
afraid of asking the tough questions (as witnessed by her interview of Delenn).
But she also recognized that there were a number of different view-points and
she gave each of them an equal voice in her report. While she did depict the
tough and sometimes dangerous situations as they occurred, she did so with an
even-handed tone, never over-dramatizing the situation beyond credible believe.

The second one, "The Illusion of Truth," was a depiction of everything wrong
with journalists. He did his best to present himself as someone willing to try
to stand the moral nigh ground while secretly working to gather as much damaging
information as he could. He very carefully worded his questions while onboard to
extract sound bites that could later be turned into the most damning answers
possible. The whole team clearly had an anti-alien (especially anti-Minbari)
agenda. The finished report was a complete misrepresentation of events and more
to the point, the intentions of the main players involved. But even that
slanderous report contain some truths. While John had made the decision to break
with the Earth Alliance, he had been collaborating with Delenn and the other
ambassadors in the conduct of events leading up to and during the Shadow-Vorlon
War. Sheridan did represent a very real threat to EarthGov as it was presently
constituted under Clark. And the fleet of White Stars was the core of the force
that he would later use to force the ouster of that hideous regime.

__!_!__
Gizmo

JBONETATI

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Oct 27, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/27/99
to

<<May I ask how you really feel about the 'journalist as recorder/observer, not
participant' question?
Thanks,


<<I think that jms has already answered that one with the two different
episodes,
"And Now For A Word: and "The Illusion Of Truth.">>

Good points, Mark and it readilly illustrates that JMS will depict whichever
side is necessary to the story with integrity. But the way his characters
portray a viewpoint isn't necessarily the opinion of the author.

The reason I asked is that there's an ethical dilemma in "We Killed Them in the
Ratings" that I think is a thorny problem for any journalist in any media.

Jan


Jms at B5

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Oct 27, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/27/99
to
>The reason I asked is that there's an ethical dilemma in "We Killed Them in
>the
>Ratings" that I think is a thorny problem for any journalist in any media.

Exactly, which is why I chose to examine that particular question in the story;
I like questions that don't have particularly easy or facile answers. And this
is one of them.

There isn't any hard and fast rule. For instance: in recent years there were
two particular cases of self-immolation here in the US, both as protest but
also both were just a little bit not right in the head.

Anyway...in one case, the reporter saw what was happening, and rolled film,
made no attempt to intervene. He was pilloried for his inaction and
inhumanity. In the other case, the other reporter saw what was happening,
grabbed a coat, and rushed to put the fire out...and was pilloried for getting
personally involved with the story instead of staying the "objective outsider,"
which in truth does not exist because the only way to be TRULY objective is to
not have any prior beliefs, convictions or experiences that would color one's
perceptions.

I don't think there is a right answer or perspective on the question...which
makes it fun to explore as a writer.

happy_h...@my-deja.com

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Oct 28, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/28/99
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Help??

> BTW, I enjoyed "We Killed Them in the Ratings".

A friend of mine is interested in this... and so am I!! Can you point
out to me where I can find (should have found) this??

Thanks in advance!

Lynne Ann


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.


JBONETATI

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Oct 28, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/28/99
to
>Help??
>
>> BTW, I enjoyed "We Killed Them in the Ratings".
>
>A friend of mine is interested in this... and so am I!! Can you point
>out to me where I can find (should have found) this??
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>Lynne Ann

I found it by sheer luck, Lynne Anne (and everybody)! I was doing a search on
Amazon.com for JMS and this popped up.

It's a short story in an anthology called "Blowout in Little Man Flats and
Other Spine-tingling Stories of Murder in the West" edited by Billie Sue
Mosiman and Martin H Greenburg. It's a Trade paperback, cover price $9.95.
They're contemporary stories.

If I'm reading the copyright information correctly, this is the first time this
story has been published, Copyright 1998.

Hope this helps. I can post the ISBN # if anybody needs it.

Jan


Michael Beecroft

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Oct 28, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/28/99
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And all this time I thought it was the Americans who designed the VCR so
that the Japanese could get rich selling them back to the Americans.

Mike

JBONETATI <jbon...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991026213710...@ng-cr1.aol.com...


> <<That's why god made VCRs.>>
>
> Hallelujah and amen, brother!
>
> << but that was one I enjoyed
> (if only to take a shot at TV in general).
>
> jms>>
>

> May I ask how you really feel about the 'journalist as recorder/observer,
not
> participant' question?
>
> Thanks,
>

> Jan
>
>
>

Ronin and Annie

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Oct 28, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/28/99
to
Praise the powers that be for such marvels of technology!

Annie


dave

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Oct 28, 1999, 3:00:00 AM10/28/99
to

Jms at B5 wrote in message <19991026173040...@ng-fg1.aol.com>...

>>::sigh:: yes, but a book you can re-read at leisure without the
distraction
>>of
>>commercials.
>
>That's why god made VCRs.
>
>>BTW, I enjoyed "We Killed Them in the Ratings".
>>
>
>Thanks...I don't do that many mainstream stories, but that was one I

enjoyed
>(if only to take a shot at TV in general).
>
> jms
>
>(jms...@aol.com)
>B5 Official Fan Club at:
>http://www.thestation.com
>
>
>

Someone please help me. What is this reference to


"We Killed Them in the Ratings".

Thanks,

Dave_in_Kent


Charles Applin

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Oct 31, 1999, 2:00:00 AM10/31/99
to

Jms at B5 wrote:
>
> >::sigh:: yes, but a book you can re-read at leisure without the distraction
> >of
> >commercials.
>
> That's why god made VCRs.

Here I thought I was the only atheist to use a line like that.

>
> >BTW, I enjoyed "We Killed Them in the Ratings".
> >
>
> Thanks...I don't do that many mainstream stories, but that was one I enjoyed
> (if only to take a shot at TV in general).
>
> jms
>
> (jms...@aol.com)
> B5 Official Fan Club at:
> http://www.thestation.com


Thank God I'm an Atheist

nuke-...@home.com


JK

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Dec 2, 1999, 3:00:00 AM12/2/99
to

Jms at B5 wrote:

> That's why god made VCRs.

Uh-oh. I fear to ask who created DVDs.

-JK


P.S. Does this also imply VHS vs BETA is a holy war?


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