Today, The New York Times ran a story about their television associates at CBS. Now, I may be bad at math, but the Time has a story on the top of their front page online about approximately 12 people being fired. Apparently US readers must either be news deprived or they have become so stupid as to not realize the complete insignificance of this 'story'.
Either way, I can't understand why The New York Times would bother to even write about this. According to the article, these are local reporters being fired, not major news anchors. Does this mean that the quality of local news may decline because there are fewer members of the news staff? When was the last time anyone learned something that was true and useful from the local news? Is there some major economic impact from these people losing their precious jobs doing nothing but reading from prompts or recycling AP stories?
It irritates me that one of the few 'quality' news institutions in the US has lowered it's bar to such a level, even in this one occasion. When there are issues around the world that affect thousands or millions that simply require more press time to awaken the American populace, 1 percent of 1,200 local television news employees being sacked ranks in the upper echelons of what one should know happened today.
I understand the need to tap local markets to generate advertising revenue. I understand that many people watch local news and that when they don't see their favorite male or female 'news'-caster with her or his respective pectoral implants they may freak out and join a riot. I understand that people should be aware of who generates the news they observe.
On the other hand, we have so many other important issues to attend to. Why aren't there more articles on Darfur or Tibet? What about the coca trade in Central and South America? Or the millions of starving people in India or Africa? Or maybe the extreme violence and declining support structure of American inner cities? Why has all news about Afghanistan dropped out of sight, only to be replaced by news about Obama's re-tooled stump speech appealing to a group that he never paid attention to before? The world is in a constant state of decay, and all that holds collapse at bay is awareness and semi-informed action or inaction. The media possesses a great amount of power, but what does any of that mean when news about the news takes precedence over the news itself?
It is a sad state when we don't even have press-worthy news front and center to ignore. I think one of the soldiers who recently died in Iraq, Ryan Wood, had some of the clearest comments of all. I've re-posted his posting from The New York Times, but you really should read the entire article.
WHAT THE HELL AMERICA??
“What the hell happened?” any intelligent American might ask themselves throughout their day. While the ignorant, dragging themselves to thier closed off cubicle, contemplate the simple things in life such as “fast food tonight?” or “I wonder what motivated Brittany Spears to shave her unsightly, mishaped domepiece?”
To the simpleton, this news might appear “devastating.” I assume not everyone thinks this way, but from my little corner of the earth, Iraq, a spot in the world a majority of Americans could’nt point out on the map, it certainly appears so. This little piece of truly, heart-breaking news captured headlines and apparently American imaginations as FOX news did a two hour, truly enlightening piece of breaking news history. American veiwers watched intently, and impatiently as the pretty colors flashed and the media exposed the inner workings of Brittany’s obviously, deep character. I was amazed, truly dumbfounded wondering how we as Americans have sank so low. To all Americans I have but one phrase that helps me throughout my day of constant dangers and ever present death around the corner, “WHO THE [expletive] CARES!” Wow America, we have truly become a nation of self-absorbed retards. ... This world has serious problems and it’s time for America to start addressing them.
Ryan Wood, Myspace blog, May 26, 2007
No comments:
Post a Comment