Sensationalist journalism on Kennedy’s discharge

It took five Boston Globe staff reporters and two correspondents to write a 1,600-word story this afternoon on Senator Kennedy leaving the hospital.

The story also contained links to four other stories.

I don’t mean to trivialize the senator’s malignant tumor, but can anyone say journalistic overkill?

All that is needed are a few paragraphs that summarize why he was admitted to the hospital (had a seizure), the result (the tumor), and that he was discharged. Intersperse the story with some quotes from doctors and Joe Shmo citizens, sure.

But the way the story is written, going on and on about what-if scenarios involving to-be diagnoses, successor elections, political successes and tragedies in the Kennedy family, and that President Bush is praying for a speedy recovery… huh?

The man is far from dying or he wouldn’t have been discharged.

Let’s honor him, not write a mammoth story as if he was dead or removed from office.

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