Fear and Media
December 2nd, 2008 (Life)Let me be the first to tell you that I’m not much of a news junkie in the traditional sense. I have been at times obsessive about keeping up with tech news online and on podcasts, but I don’t typically read newspapers, watch news on TV or check out msn.com for the latest news stories every day. It’s my opinion that we should make a drastic change in the way that the news is reported in this country. Now, I get my general news updates by word of mouth from people who have done the watching or reading already for me. A common emotional response to the news that I hear from these people is fear. They are afraid of what will happen with the economy, afraid of gas prices, afraid of criminals on the loose, etc… Now, what I have also found when I have listened to the news and heard something that I knew a little bit about (technology related pieces), I see that there are all kinds of inaccuracies and misinformation presented. It makes me wonder about the subjects that I’ve heard reported on that I am not as familiar with. Are they also full of false or exaggerated information just to increase the shock factor which seems to boost ratings and viewership?
I think we all know that the media will present news to us in the most shocking and negative way possible because it garners a response. The question is, what is our reaction to all of this? Do we live in fear of the future? Are we simply fascinated by the shocking stories? Do we hold out hope for citizen journalism to gain more credibility through sites like Current TV and Beat Blogging? Or, do you have another solution? You tell me…
