If you own a television or can read, or if you have not been in a comatose state for the past 20 years, you have probably noticed the growing plague of sensationalism and gross bias inundating the modern media. This epidemic is characterized by media outlets heavily emphasizing stories with rampant shock value for the reasons of heightening viewer retention, ratings and the avocation of political agendas. So one finds himself asking, “Where is the news? Where are the stories that matter?”
On July 29, 2010, viewers the world over tuned in to receive impromptu advice from Huntsville, Ala., resident Antoine Dodson, urging in fine street fashion, “hide your kids, hide your wife, hide your husband ‘cause they rapin’ errybody [sic] out here,” in response to an attempted rape. Within days, this clip was the latest internet meme. Yet how many of you knew that on that very day, a revised version of Arizona’s controversial immigration law went into effect? Probably not many.
After the mid-April explosion on the BP Deepwater Horizon, the media flooded households with images of oil-covered wildlife. It was eventually revealed that some of these images portrayed by the less mainstream organizations were being misconstrued, as they were truthfully from previous petroleum incidents including the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. This certainly explains the presence of the elusive oil-soaked Louisiana penguin.
Yellow journalism that publishes topics with little or no research and focuses on the absurd is no modern invention. This sensationalism has plagued history and manipulated impending events throughout the ages. Jean Paul Marat used his journalistic position to stir the French population into a tumult following the French Revolution. This ultimately played a crucial role in the post-revolution Reign of Terror in which an estimated 30,000 French citizens from all walks of life met the national razor.
Even the legends of journalism are not immune. Joseph Pulitzer utilized sensationalism to promote his personal agenda and paper sales during the Spanish-American War. Though this is only a small footnote in recorded history, we most famously recognize Pulitzer for lending his name to the acclaimed Pulitzer Prizes. Ironically enough, the Pulitzer Prize is centered on excellence in the field of journalism.
The biggest issue is that when news stories are purposefully misconstrued, it affects the perceived reality of the population. At this point, the diminished credibility of the perpetrating media is the least of the problems created. Riots, fear mongering and genocides can all trace their roots back, to some extent, to the abuse of the popular media.
Nowhere in recent events has this issue been more prevalent than in the 2008 presidential elections. Here, separate media factions aligned themselves with political parties, and the end result was anything but the Dragnet propagated “just the facts.” Both sides of this mass media war touted sensational rhetoric that influenced the nation at an unprecedented level.
The problem is so bad that I cannot even drive to class without being blasted with sensational radio propaganda. I soon find myself thinking “Yes, thank you Fox News, the liberal left is running the country into the ground in avocation of the New World Order,” and “What’s that CNN? Another exposé on the assault weapon-wielding tea baggers who are a trigger pull away from taking over America? But, honestly, I just wanted to know if I should grab my umbrella….”
I realize that a large part of the problem must come from the viewers themselves. In this fast-paced, modern world we want instant gratification. If it’s not saucy and served up on our iPhones in five minutes or less, we honestly do not care. It truly is less than reassuring to know that our mass media outlets have taken on the integrity of the local Burger King.
What’s more, if studies say that I am only expected to be able to listen to professor Schepker, who is bloody funny, for a total of 50 minutes per class, how can a major media source ever hope to keep my attention with the monotone Walter Cronkite-esque presentation of our current events? Perhaps the media does need something they can sell, but at what price does one freely choose to lose integrity?
Absolutely, it must be realized that our major news outlets are some of the United States’ largest and most powerful corporations, and that means, “Show me the cash!” But the fact of the matter is that the news must be factual, and it must deliver unto the people the real issues at hand. To be factual is to be utterly and completely revealing in the truth. Multiple sides of the stories must be portrayed, and it must be done with equality. Journalism must include neither half-truths nor omissions; America needs, if not perhaps craves, the facts.
Honestly, the last thing that this country needs is another Marat, for with friends like those, who needs enemies? To quote Jack Johnson, “Where’d all the good people go? I’ve been changing channels; I don’t see them on the TV shows….”