According to The New York Times, NBC thinks it can help print journalism, which is in dire straights, with a reality show. For some reason, small town newspapers believe it. While  small town newspapers are  a bastion of quirkiness, the fact that NBC told The New York Times that 150 of them responded to a casting call in 10 days is baffling. Any self-respecting newspaper would never agree to be on a reality show, mainly because someone on the staff has actually sat through an episode of Jersey Shore.

Despite reality shows having the tendency to make people look stupid, newspapers from North Carolina to Montana seem to crave the attention and notoriety that comes with airing during primetime on a major network. David Woronoff, the owner of The Pilot in Southern Pines, North Carolina, told The New York Times about the “Gangnam Style” dance his staff performed to their “Call Me Maybe” parody, which they sent to NBC. There’s nothing wrong with the video as long as it’s kept within the company and only comes out at Christmas parties. Once it leaves the newsroom, the people in the video go from serious journalists to wannabe viral video stars.  Unless you’re a fill-in host on The Today Show, no one should see you bust a move. The Washington Post doesn’t create videos of its staff trying to look trendy because its in the business of being respected.

NBC has probably captured the imaginations of so many newspaper publishers because Ben Ringe, the senior vice president for development for NBC News Peacock Productions, told The New York Times he expects that whatever newspaper is featured on the show will have their advertising rates increase dramatically. Why would anyone believe that? No one in New York or California cares about Alaska’s Kodiak Daily Mirror and the show does not sound that interesting. City dwellers will laugh at how backwards the small town newspaper appears and residents of rural areas will be offended that a major corporation simply doesn’t understand their way of life.