Simon Sez: Black Friday is the Worst Day of the Year for Journalism

Black Friday is the day in the year for journalism.

That’s because nearly all TV and radio stations, at least the ones that still staff local news departments, and most newspapers, go gaga over Black Friday shopping.

Dear Standard Media: Black Friday Shopping is NOT NEWS.

Sale price is NOT NEWS.

People doing out of the ordinary things on Black Friday IS NEWS.

About 20 years ago, consultants, or insultants as a few of us call them, got the brainy idea that people doing things in mass is news.

Ok, there are naysayers who’ll argue that shopping touches people’s lives and because of that, Black Friday news coverage is relevant.

Shopping is relevant to everyone. It can be done any other day of the year.

And isn’t it interesting when hundreds of people are at an event and it’s not covered, the same TV and radio stations along with newspapers will say it’s not news.

They’re also the same folks with thin skin who complain about the complaint calls.

Let’s move along. That’s also something you’ll hear a lot on Black Friday.

More naysayers will claim, the super-low sales prices being offered in news.

No it’s not. It’s advertising. And you’ll be able to find the most items before Christmas at the same price and in some cases, even lower.

For the upside, when you get hundreds of people together in a confined space on Black Friday, you’ve got the ingredients for the people version of making a train wreck.

How many fights have we seen over the years for trivial items you and I can’t remember what it was they were fighting about?

These MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) wannabes just hours earlier were giving thanks for all that blessed their lives!

News departments have staffed all their reporters at shopping centers and malls. And their technology is up-to-date to report news right away.

Therefore, if any of them miss one of these Black Friday shopping train-wreck stories or are playing catch-up hours later, they’re lazy and not doing their job.

Black Friday shopping news is lazy work, period.

A high school student can cover Black Friday news. How hard it is to ask someone, “Hey, what did you buy today?”

It’s a win-win. Paying a high school student minimum wage saves money for the news department. Besides, they’re already shopping somewhere on Black Friday. Most can hold a microphone.

The upside this year is for retailers. Thanksgiving is earlier this year than average.

But Black Friday news coverage makes for below-average journalism.

Scott Simon of ProVergent Media in Creve Coeur worked in standard media for nearly 30 years and covered a couple of Black Fridays in the mid-1980's before the day became a panacea. He got smart and opt-ed out of working that day by volunteering to work the day before on Thanksgiving where free food awaited him and other workers by people and restaurants who felt sorry for Scott and colleagues having to work a holiday!