Arthur SolomonFor media watchers, the soon-to-depart summer might be remembered as “The Summer Journalism Hit a New Low.” Seven relatively minor--but over covered--stories have hurt the already low standing of journalism.

Here they are:

Deflategate. The way the media covered this relatively minor story about slightly underinflated footballs, a visitor from Mars would think that it was about the ultimate battle between good and evil. Eventually, there will be an armistice between the warring parties, either through negotiation or one imposed legally. Until then the media will attach themselves to this story, returning to it every slow news day, and largely ignoring that the NFL is a league that employs more violent law breakers than all of the other leagues combined.

Tears of Wilmer Flores. After TV coverage caught the New York Mets infielder’s eyes fill with tears during a game when he thought that he had been traded, it seemed sob story journalism had a rebirth. What should have been reported as a journalistic mistake (trade talks collapsed) and a one-day human interest story instead became incessant fodder for weeks on all sorts of media, including TV, talk radio, hard news shows and coverage in print media unseen since the birth of the last royal baby. Reporters owe Flores an apology for the angst they caused him.

Cecil the Lion: Only PETA could be happy the way the media jumped on this story. It was reported as if this unfortunate lion was Cecil the Lionhearted. The coverage treated Cecil as if the lion discovered a cure for cancer and treated the hunter, who said he had relied on his local hunting guide, as if he was the cause of the malignancy. Lost also in the coverage was how people who live in Africa feel about lions that kill their cattle, or worse, kill their friends and family. On a personal level, I don’t understand why hunters get a thrill out of killing an animal. I’m not pro-hunting; I’m not anti-hunting. But on a journalistic level, the coverage was definitely overkill.

Jon Stewart. If the coverage Jon Stewart received in the weeks leading up to his final program wasn’t excessive, nothing is. Let’s face it. His popularity is a result of years of fawning media coverage, (continuing even after his last TV program) which used to be reserved for a person more important than a late night, bleeding heart, knee-jerk liberal. As a person who is left-of-center on the political spectrum, I stopped watching The Daily Show a couple of years ago. I found Stewart’s routines becoming exceedingly redundant and mean-spirited, targeting politicians he disagreed with, instead of being cutting-edge, funny and informative. The flattering coverage given to Stewart was the epitome of the long goodbye kiss.

GOP Debates. Any resemblance of the made-for-TV shows to debates is purely coincidental. Candidates knew in advance the great majority of the questions they would be asked; mostly the same ones they have been asked many times before by the talking heads’ political shows. The shows are nothing more than national platforms for candidates to express their well-rehearsed talking points.

Trumping the Pundits (or playing the Trump card). I’ve written many times about how listening to political pundits is a waste of time. This was never more proven then during their coverage of Donald Trump. Minute-by-minute pundits would echo the same words regarding the Trump candidacy. It’s as if they were on a loop recording or they were reprising a scene from Groundhog Day

Poll-itical Craziness: Am I the only person who thinks daily reporting on polls so far in advance of an election, with so many declared candidates splitting the vote, is journalism malpractice? Am I also the only person who believes that continuous TV reporting that “shows Trump gaining and Hillary losing support” are similar to ABC-TV’s early news show headlining that every rain drop could be the beginning of a major storm, so tune in to the 11 pm news. In other words hype to attract an audience.

Between now and the end of the year, there will be real news. Some stories will get the coverage they deserve, some will not. But one thing is certain: If you want to get the entire story, turn off the TV set, ignore social media and pick up a world-class newspaper, like USA TODAY, the New York Times or Wall Street Journal.

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Arthur Solomon, a former senior VP/senior counselor at Burson-Marsteller, contributes to PR and sports business publications, consults on PR projects and serves on the Seoul Peace Prize nominating committee. He can be reached at [email protected]