Rita - Luna and the Qubbler

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 169562

> bboyminn:
> 
> Let's be clear there is a big difference between what
> Rita and the Prophet do and what Luna's father and the
> Quibbler do. The Prophet prints flat out lies and
> deception for profit or for convenient political ends.
> What the Quibbler prints is perceived truth or presumed
> truth. In other words, Luna and her father really 
> believe all that crap is true. Rita on the other hand
> knows full well that she is printing bullocks, but as
> long as it is commercially viable and politically
> advantageous, who cares?

Magpie:
I know the difference between the two, but I think we need to really 
look at what's going on. Because saying "Well, Luna and her father 
really believe it!" seems to make the whole thing just personal and 
I don't think that's the way any rules about journalism would work. 
Lots of people who actually believe stuff print very hurtful, 
damaging things. *We* know (or assume--we've never met Luna's father 
so how do we know?) that they seem to believe this stuff, but that 
doesn't make it any more true. Many of the people smearing Harry at 
the Prophet could believe what they were printing was true. We've 
seen the Prophet print misinformation the Order fed them.

The real reason the Quibbler's okay is that it seems so silly nobody 
would believe it while Rita is more representing interpretations and 
slants the Trio doesn't like that seemingly could be true. There is 
*more* truth in what Rita is printing.

> bboyminn:
> 
> To some extent I agree with you, Rita and the Prophet are
> publishing a /slant/ that Harry and the gang don't like,
> but more often, it is not slant but a twisted 
> sensationalistic version of the truth that sells paper 
> but in no way reflects realty or actual truth.
> 
> For example, yes Rita published that Hagrid was a 
> half-giant, that was truth, but she spun the story in
> a way that made Hagrid seem like a mad killer, a
> danger to everyone around him, which was not the truth.
> The may letters of support that Hagrid received from 
> students who remembered him proved that.

Magpie:
Well, they proved that not everyone had that opinion of Hagrid. 
(Though he wasn't a teacher then.) Rita used actual quotes from 
students in her article (some of which we know were exaggerated), 
students who would probably agree with the article. Some of the 
quotes were from Hagrid himself and did not seem like they were 
necessarily inaccurate. The trouble was she drew the wrong 
conclusions about Hagrid as far as Harry was concerned. Yes, he bred 
the Skrewts against whatever regulation etc., but Harry thinks this 
is one of those wacky Hagrid things we love him for anyway--although 
the idea that he was a danger to others wouldn't necessarily run 
*completely* against the feelings of the kids in the class. It would 
still be exaggerated, but then so would an article saying that 
Hagrid was loved by all and no one felt safer than in his class--and 
I think Harry would love that article and think it put things right.

Steve:> 
> Rita took a seed of truth and spun it into a functional
> lie. Luna and her father take pure fantasy which they
> assume to be true and publish it as if it were true.
> Surely you must see the difference? 

Magpie:
Sure I see the difference, but again that's still making a judgement 
based on the characters of the people involved. Of the two, Rita is 
dealing more with truth. In the Muggle world she'd probably be 
writing those lurid stories about the celebrity divorce Petunia 
reads, or about how Lindsay Lohan's out of control again or how 
Katie Holmes is brainwashed. The press is made up of many voices 
competing to tell their version of a story. But that's not really 
what makes Hermione angry about Rita. For instance, I don't think 
she'd have an issue with Rita injecting her own opinions in the 
story if it were in a way that she agreed with. Like, if she did an 
expose on House Elves using the Crouch and Winky story the way 
Hermione herself tells it. Even though Winky herself might read the 
story and be as furious as Harry reading about Hagrid. One of the 
themes that comes up *a lot* in this universe is competing versions 
of stories based on biased povs. 

-m