What’s Gonzo journalism? Kit O’Connell answers
By
Milena Rampoldi, 9/12/2016
Here is my interview with Kit O’Connell
 |
| Kit at work |
MR: What is Gonzo journalism and what
does it mean to you personally?
KO’C: Hunter S. Thompson, author of “Fear & Loathing In Las
Vegas,” and many other books, coined the term “gonzo
journalism,” but the practice goes back much further. A great example of
an early gonzo journalist is Nelly Bly, who had herself committed to a mental
hospital in 1887 to expose the horrific treatment of patients. Ken Kesey is
another famous practitioner, though what he practiced was a variation called “New
Journalism.”
Gonzo
journalism is journalism which rejects the idea of neutrality and objectivity.
I consider myself an activist first and a journalist second, even though it’s
the journalism that pays my bills and let’s me continue my activism. For me, journalism
is a way to reveal important truths and try to share the knowledge that we need
to build a better, more humane world.
journalism is journalism which rejects the idea of neutrality and objectivity.
I consider myself an activist first and a journalist second, even though it’s
the journalism that pays my bills and let’s me continue my activism. For me, journalism
is a way to reveal important truths and try to share the knowledge that we need
to build a better, more humane world.
What will the main matters of your new
portal be?
I’ve been
blogging at kitoconnell.com since 2008, but I’m beginning
to post original writing on the site again. I’m focused on human rights, social
justice, and overlooked stories based around marginalized groups of people.
I’ve got a story I’m working on about a group of queer women who are building
an art gallery in rural New Hampshire, and also hoping to investigate how
homeless youth are being mistreated near the University of Texas at Austin.
There’s a lot I’m interested in right now, but I think exploring the way people
survive and suffer under late-stage capitalism is a common thread.
blogging at kitoconnell.com since 2008, but I’m beginning
to post original writing on the site again. I’m focused on human rights, social
justice, and overlooked stories based around marginalized groups of people.
I’ve got a story I’m working on about a group of queer women who are building
an art gallery in rural New Hampshire, and also hoping to investigate how
homeless youth are being mistreated near the University of Texas at Austin.
There’s a lot I’m interested in right now, but I think exploring the way people
survive and suffer under late-stage capitalism is a common thread.
I’ve
recently launched a mailing list, “Gonzo Notes,” which people can
subscribe to for free (kitoconnell.com/mailinglist) and I’ve just launched a Patreon
account (patreon.com/kitoconnell). I won’t have a full time job
after January, so I’m really depending on my readers to support my work. I’m
hoping to release as much of my writing as possible under a Creative Commons
license, so it can be freely shared and reprinted.
recently launched a mailing list, “Gonzo Notes,” which people can
subscribe to for free (kitoconnell.com/mailinglist) and I’ve just launched a Patreon
account (patreon.com/kitoconnell). I won’t have a full time job
after January, so I’m really depending on my readers to support my work. I’m
hoping to release as much of my writing as possible under a Creative Commons
license, so it can be freely shared and reprinted.
How do you think gonzo journalism can promote
alternative journalism?
Gonzo
journalism is inherently a form of alternative journalism. I think one reason
people seek out alternatives to the mainstream is they want to experience the
news more immediately, as regular people like them experience it. There’s a
clarity and a distance that traditional journalists maintain, and I think that
has value, but a lot of readers also want the immediacy of gonzo
journalism.
journalism is inherently a form of alternative journalism. I think one reason
people seek out alternatives to the mainstream is they want to experience the
news more immediately, as regular people like them experience it. There’s a
clarity and a distance that traditional journalists maintain, and I think that
has value, but a lot of readers also want the immediacy of gonzo
journalism.
Protests
are a perfect example of this. The TV news here in the US either ignores
popular protest or depicts protesters as ineffective, messy, even dangerous
rather than powerful. A gonzo journalist can bring the experience of being
inside a protest, and help readers understand what’s provoking an uprising.
are a perfect example of this. The TV news here in the US either ignores
popular protest or depicts protesters as ineffective, messy, even dangerous
rather than powerful. A gonzo journalist can bring the experience of being
inside a protest, and help readers understand what’s provoking an uprising.
Why is objectivity not possible in
journalism?
All
journalists have bias. Bias is a part of the human condition. Traditional journalism
generally denies that journalism and claims to be “objective.” But
every journalist brings their own agenda to the story, and so does their
editor, the publisher, and the sponsors and advertisers. Here in the United
States, both MSNBC and Fox News, two of our largest TV news networks, claim to
offer neutral journalism but they each are biased in one or another direction,
generally toward the Democrats or the Republicans.
journalists have bias. Bias is a part of the human condition. Traditional journalism
generally denies that journalism and claims to be “objective.” But
every journalist brings their own agenda to the story, and so does their
editor, the publisher, and the sponsors and advertisers. Here in the United
States, both MSNBC and Fox News, two of our largest TV news networks, claim to
offer neutral journalism but they each are biased in one or another direction,
generally toward the Democrats or the Republicans.
As a gonzo
journalist, I lay my biases on the table. I generally say that I’m biased
toward human rights and equality. I hope my readers know that I’ll always put
people first, even when it’s inconvenient for a politician or a corporation.
Especially when it’s inconvenient for a politician or a corporation.
journalist, I lay my biases on the table. I generally say that I’m biased
toward human rights and equality. I hope my readers know that I’ll always put
people first, even when it’s inconvenient for a politician or a corporation.
Especially when it’s inconvenient for a politician or a corporation.
How can perspectives of different
journalists from different cultures and religions help to improve journalistic
work?
We’re all
human, but we each get a unique and diverse slice of that human experience.
I’ve always tried to keep up with news sources from other parts of the world,
like Canadian public radio or the BBC. It’s fascinating and illuminating to
hear how even mainstream Canadian journalists talk about our president-elect.
Of course, social media has opened up exciting new avenues of reaching other
cultures. I love that I can follow a reporter from thousands of miles
away.
human, but we each get a unique and diverse slice of that human experience.
I’ve always tried to keep up with news sources from other parts of the world,
like Canadian public radio or the BBC. It’s fascinating and illuminating to
hear how even mainstream Canadian journalists talk about our president-elect.
Of course, social media has opened up exciting new avenues of reaching other
cultures. I love that I can follow a reporter from thousands of miles
away.
And of
course, in a way, smartphones turn everyone who can afford one into a citizen
journalist. If someone witnesses breaking news, they just put up a livestream
or jump onto Twitter. Some reporters might see that as a threat, but I see it
as potentially incredibly liberating for humanity. It’s also a huge
responsibility that maybe we’re not quite ready for, as a species.
course, in a way, smartphones turn everyone who can afford one into a citizen
journalist. If someone witnesses breaking news, they just put up a livestream
or jump onto Twitter. Some reporters might see that as a threat, but I see it
as potentially incredibly liberating for humanity. It’s also a huge
responsibility that maybe we’re not quite ready for, as a species.
How is the reaction of readers to Gonzo
journalism?
journalism?
I’ve definitely
received some push back from people more comfortable with conventional
journalism. However, as more people learn to recognize the bias in mainstream
journalism, I think the demand for another kind of news is growing. And for
every time I’ve had someone reject the kind of writing I favor, I’ve also had
many more people, my interview subjects especially, tell me I’ve done a better
job of bringing their stories to light than anyone else. There’s a lot of
distrust toward the media right now, and I think being honest about our biases
can be one way to rebuild that trust. I have a small, but rapidly growing
following of people who rely on my voice and the unique stories I share.
received some push back from people more comfortable with conventional
journalism. However, as more people learn to recognize the bias in mainstream
journalism, I think the demand for another kind of news is growing. And for
every time I’ve had someone reject the kind of writing I favor, I’ve also had
many more people, my interview subjects especially, tell me I’ve done a better
job of bringing their stories to light than anyone else. There’s a lot of
distrust toward the media right now, and I think being honest about our biases
can be one way to rebuild that trust. I have a small, but rapidly growing
following of people who rely on my voice and the unique stories I share.
I’ll close
with a long Hunter Thompson quote I hope ProMosaik readers will appreciate:
with a long Hunter Thompson quote I hope ProMosaik readers will appreciate:
“There
are a lot of ways to practice the art of journalism, and one of them is to use
your art like a hammer to destroy the right people — who are almost always your
enemies, for one reason or another, and who usually deserve to be crippled, because
they are wrong. This is a dangerous notion, and very few professional
journalists will endorse it — calling it “vengeful” and “primitive” and
“perverse” regardless of how often they might do the same thing themselves.
“That kind of stuff is opinion,” they say, “and the reader is cheated if it’s
not labelled as opinion.” Well, maybe so. Maybe Tom Paine cheated his readers
and Mark Twain was a devious fraud with no morals at all who used journalism
for his own foul ends. And maybe H. L. Mencken should have been locked up for
trying to pass off his opinions on gullible readers and normal “objective
journalism.” Mencken understood that politics — as used in journalism — was the
art of controlling his environment, and he made no apologies for it. In my case,
using what politely might be called “advocacy journalism,” I’ve used reporting
as a weapon to affect political situations that bear down on my
environment.”
