The Etheridge Incident: Whatever This Is, It's Not Journalism

A pox on both their houses.

The 'students' (from which institution, working on what course, toward which degree?) were waiting laying in wait for Etheridge. He was on his way elsewhere, thinking of something else, and the kids caught his attention, much in the way a panhandler (or mugger) approaches someone on the street. Etheridge was caught off guard, and irritated at being accosted.

Should he have cold-cocked the cameraman? Nope!

Grabbed the kid by the wrist? Nope!

Should those kids have been there, attempting to stage a mugging on his reputation?

Definitely, no.

The posing of the question was not about eliciting information--and the question posed was something that could have been discerned from the public record.

It was all about provoking an angry reaction from a guy who appears to possess a short fuse.

It was not journalism, by any legitimate definition. It was 1:10 of ugliness from both sides of the equation.

OS keeps hammering, hopefully clearly, that the questions before us are about The Culture. Every day, do the things we do (and refrain from doing) improve The Culture?
Has anyone who witnessed this dust-up had their life improved thereby? Was this moment necessary? Etheridge is a doddering, angry old politician, but that would be clear to his constituents anyway, were they paying attention. HellsBells, now he elicits a bit of sympathy!

Whatever this was, it was not journalism, and The Culture was cheapened by it.