So I am a news junkie (I’m also a sports junkie, a Jeopardy junkie, a Jazz junkie, a fan of clam chowder, and a pursuer of exorbitant amounts of random information). I spend as much time as possible absorbing as much information as possible. I’ve been known to actually flip through 5 news stations, in just an hour or two, in search of more and more knowledge. CNN, BBC, MSNBC, PBS, and yes even Fox News. I’m just trying to be as informed about the world around me as I can be.
Through much “news-gazing” I’ve discovered that watching these news stations hardly helps me in my quest to be aware about this planet that I live on, save the BBC (and sometimes PBS). Too often do these stations give in to the sensationalized nature of this planet that American culture breeds, feeding our desire to be in a state of high shock and emotion at all times, like with the OJ Simpson trial (from whence CourtTV was born). This is why too many times there are minor news stories that end up becoming gi-normous news stories by the end of any given day.
Case/Point, the Scott Peterson trial. Can someone please explain to me how in the world that became national news? Spousal abuse, Domestic Violence, and even such murders are, unfortunately, very common in this nation (indeed the world over). So with all do respect to Laci Peterson and her family, as a Midwesterner, I should not know nearly as much about the case as I do. In fact, the case should’ve been little more than a blip on the evening news a couple of December’s ago, and that’s it. Instead I can tell you all about Scott, Laci, Amber Frey, Scott’s hair color, and the other day I even watched as he was shipped off to prison. Why?
To continue with such a silly trend, in the last month we have been bombarded by the Atlanta Courthouse murders (which was NOT a major news story), the Terri Schiavo case (which should’ve never left Florida), and the death of the Pope (which, though significant, was also over-reported). Somewhere, lost in all of this, there was another school shooting that would’ve typically garnered more news attention if it weren’t for Ms. Schiavo. However, I’m not upset about the limited coverage on it. In fact, I think the amount of coverage the school shooting received was just about right. You’re probably sitting there thinking to yourself, “oh yeah, I did hear about that school shooting. It was in Minnesota, right?” And that’s the way it should be.
I guess that I’m just frustrated that before the “CNN-effect” had taken over news coverage, I could sit down and watch the local news from 6-6:30, and then watch Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw or Peter Jennings from 6:30-7pm, and obtain more knowledge about what was going on in the world than I ever can from these 24 hour news stations. It’s like something is seriously backwards here.
And all these news stations will now shut down all day, or even all week (as was the case with the Pope), and just report on one story. Meanwhile, they all have a news ticker at the bottom of the screen, which often spouts off the “real” news while they report on something as insignificant as Michael Jackson wearing pajama pants to trial. And even worse, sometimes on CNN (and probably the others as well), the ticker will only run one story for 15 or 20 minutes at a time. The problem being that the solo ticker story is the same story as the one that the reporters shut down the station to report on all day. So there are actually times when a 24 hour news station is literally only reporting one news story for extremely large quantities of the day. And there are sometimes whole weeks when there is only 1 story significantly reported on (i.e. Schiavo or the Pope). Does that make sense?
Luckily I’m resourceful enough to actually find out what’s going on around the world during these stupefying, ignorant stretches of so-called news coverage. But I shouldn’t have to hunt down the news; it shouldn’t be that difficult.
I guess I have much the same complaint with all of these 24 hour news stations as I do with Black Entertainment Television (BET); there is an opportunity for these stations to do great things, promote positive aspects of humankind, even-handedly report the vicissitudes of life on this planet, and inform on serious issues with integrity, but yet they fail miserably.
Unfortunately, this problem isn’t soon to stop. Until the next Pope is elected, we will all become make-shift Catholics, or at least it will feel like it, when watching the news. And who knows what other minor story will sweep the nation.
And while we sat there and watched Congress try to solidify next elections votes from the Christian Conservatives during the Schiavo case, a report came out that said the US government is responsible for 26 deaths of Iraqi detainees in Iraqi prisons. But somehow, truly important news stories like that barely make a meow on cable news stations. What’s up with that?
I think we should expect more of the news coverage in this country. I think we should demand that they report what’s really going on in a judicious fashion, and not get caught up into the “Hollywood” dramatizations of things great and small.
Just give me the news and give it to me straight! No gimmicks, no embellishments, just the real deal.
So, what’s on the news this week?
-Maelstrom
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1 comment:
I think the problem with news shows might be the show aspect.
Looking at the t.v. industry's financing methods, ratings methods etc., it stands to reason that the actual purpose of any t.v. show is to hold the audience captive for as long as possible, allowing the sponsers to inundate them with as many commercials as they can.
News shows aren't any different. So the question for news shows becomes, "what holds the most people's attention for the longest?"
Unfortunalty, the answer is not information. It's not world news, and (more acurately) it's most certainly not anything that forces the general public to question themselves.
So what do you get? Well, you get things that reinforce people's beliefs and/or appeal to a general voyeuristic curiosity.
So if U.S. citizens generally like their country, as most of us do, a few things not naturally included are:
- World issues (particularly those the U.S. is doing nothing to help and/or causing) e.g. killing of prisoners
- Domestic issues (particularly those the U.S. government is doing nothing to help and/or causing) e.g. low-quality education, spousal abuse
Some that do fit the mold are:
- Soap opera-like looks into random poeple's lives (esp. scandolous lives)
- Celebrity pajama pants
From a more psychological perspective, being designed to hold attention, t.v. is as a meduim of entertainment! It's reasonable to predict that most people use entertainment to escape and/or dull the edge of reality and they really don't want to see much non-fiction.
I'm with you on the BBC! I'm always looking for news (preferably in english, my native language) that can tell me what's actually going on out there. So far, news.bbc.co.uk is one of my favorites. I've generally found the internet to be better for info than t.v., it probably has something to do with the fact that you usually have to look for something after you log on, whereas t.v. doesn't require nearly that level of effort.
I don't really want to give up on t.v. any more than I want to give up on the general public. But lately, I've just been finding myself less and less impressed with it. (^_^)
-go
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