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Jim Acosta, ousted CNN anchor, interviewed an AI version of a victim of the Parkland shooting about gun violence on his independent show.
Media theorist Herbert Gans must be rolling in his grave.
Gans taught a generation of journalists (myself included) that cultural values shape not only the stories we cover, but how we cover them. He warned that the sources we choose shape public understanding — that they are not neutral.
But how could any of us have predicted a journalist would one day fabricate a source entirely?
The deceased that is interviewed here is Joaquin Oliver. His AI avatar was created by his parents who allowed Acosta to do this “interview.” I can understand why grieving parents would do this. I can’t understand why a principled journalist would. It feels perverse and manipulative, exactly the kind of journalism good students are warned NOT to do.
You’ll notice Acosta turned off comments on the post — likely because most people find this as distasteful as it is dishonest.