Remembering Mr. Madoff

I’ve always had a fascination with people who run scams, ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes. It’s just something that I know I would have a hard time doing myself, so I am curious when I hear about others who are involved in these devastating plans. I’ll never forget learning about Bernie Madoff, the man who ran a ponzi scheme and stole himself millions that belonged to other hardworking people.

My interest in this topic has led me to read some stories on people who are arrested for this type of thing, or who have risen to infamy as a result of their involvement. One piece, title ‘The Talented Mr. Madoff’, which was published in the L.A. Times stood out to me as a solid example of good journalism.

The scandal involving Madoff, was covered by writers Julie Creswell and Landon Thomas Jr., who did an excellent job of covering all angles of the story. Creswell and Thomas aren’t opinionated or judgemental in their writing about Madoff, which I seem to find can happen when the subjects of the story are easy to dislike. Madoff stole millions from others who had actually done the work to earn it, so it would be easy to write an opinion piece on why he should be put in prison--it would certainly be more challenging to stay objective like Creswell and Thomas.

But that isn’t the only positive that readers can take away from this article. One of my favorite parts of this piece of writing, is the intro that grabs the reader’s attention. It begins by describing Madoff not as a scumbag who plans to rob you of all you’re worth, but as a affable and charismatic man. Many readers would jump right into the heart of the scandal, but Creswell and Thomas paint a picture for the reader before letting the scene unfold.

In my opinion, a strong hook can really bring in an audience and earn reader’s attention, but staying transparent is key. Creswell and Thomas make concessions after stating evidence about Madoff. After quoting an F.B.I former special agent, they admit that he hasn’t met Madoff. So any diagnosis about his personality or habits are purely speculatory and haven’t been confirmed in person. With this, they show the reader that they are aiming to stay accurate and can be trusted as a source on this topic.

After reading ‘The Talented Mr. Madoff,’ I was intrigued and ready to learn more about the subject. For me, that means the authors did their job. They educated me on the subject, supplied evidence and not opinion based facts, and made concessions about their point--all good habits of a hardworking journalist.

You can read the article here: The Talented Mr. Madoff