by Travis Mateer

For the two local political candidates who have asked me to remove a post (in one case) and to write more impartially (in another) I’m going to give you some advise.

My first piece of advice, which I have communicated directly to both of you, is to listen to the damn interview I did with Jejchelle and Angela Stevenson about their brother’s death in Missoula.

When you listen to that interview you will better understand why I am NOT impartial, and have made no claims to be so.

My second piece of advice is to bone-up on the unconventional approach to journalism coined by Hunter S. Thompson. Here’s how wikipedia describes Gonzo journalism:

Gonzo journalism is a style of journalism that is written without claims of objectivity, often including the reporter as part of the story using a first-person narrative. The word “gonzo” is believed to have been first used in 1970 to describe an article about the Kentucky Derby by Hunter S. Thompson, who popularized the style. It is an energetic first-person participatory writing style in which the author is a protagonist, and it draws its power from a combination of social critique and self-satire.[1] It has since been applied to other subjective artistic endeavors.

Gonzo journalism involves an approach to accuracy that concerns the reporting of personal experiences and emotions, in contrast to traditional journalism, which favors a detached style and relies on facts or quotations that can be verified by third parties. Gonzo journalism disregards the strictly-edited product favored by newspaper media and strives for a more personal approach; the personality of a piece is as important as the event or actual subject of the piece. Use of sarcasm, humor, exaggeration, and profanity is common.

Class dismissed.