The Journal Of Serious Journalism

What's more disgusting than a pedophile? A drunk, narcissistic pedophile. But that apparently isn't too disgusting for the Today show.

In this edition , the first in what will no doubt become a regular feature on C-SM, The Journal of Serious Journalism details the degradation of news in popular journalism as evidenced by John Mark Karr and the never-ending (and always popular with popular media) JonBenet Ramsey story.

The New York Post reported in its gossipy Page Six today:

JOHN Mark Karr, the pedophile who falsely claimed to have murdered JonBenet Ramsey, was too creepy for "Good Morning America" - but not, apparently, for "Today."

Over the weekend, "GMA" announced it had scrapped its planned interview with Karr - mainly because he was just too disgusting, and partly because police were called after Karr had "GMA" staffers drive him to an elementary school in San Francisco where he once worked.

Wait a minute! They drove a pedophile to an elementary school? What were they thinking? No, wait ... we don't have time for serious questions here, so we push on:

Karr ended up doing an interview with Dr. Keith Ablow, a forensic psychologist who has a syndicated show with Tele pictures. "Today" bought the footage from Ablow and will air it next week, even though there are problems with the "interview."

Karr was not only paid "a lot of money" for the sit-down by Telepictures, a source says, he "was given six drinks before the interview and then told that it was a 'run- through.' Which it was not. Basically it is the weird ramblings of a drunk, narcissistic pedophile."

So Today, which reportedly considers itself something of a news program, feels it's ok to pay a pedophile? It's not the first verb that jumps to mind when I think "pedophile." And they will air it even though the interviewers got him drunk first in the hope he would be more sensational?

The John Mark Carr story won't die. Apparently Barbara Walters has named him one of the Ten Most Fascinating People of the Year for her annual gossip-fest. The same column reports that Babwa is interviewing Jon Benet's father, John Ramsey, for that segment.

Fascinating? Not the first adverb that jumps to mind ....

Related Tags: Karr, Ramsey, Journalism, Media, Today Show