JOURNALISM

      At the beginning of this last semester I was in the middle of a news hiatus/boycott due to my disgust of the local and world news. I was finding again and again that the so called “news” seemed ever increasingly obtrusive, disturbing, and left me with a general bad feeling about myself and the world in which I live. I realized that in order to supplement and digest a journalism course I needed to open the doors once again to this particular type of media. This time, due to the class, I made every effort to take an analytic view of the journalism that was coming into my life – on the television, computer, newspaper, and magazines. I started looking at reporting and journalism as a tool and craft. I began wondering how practitioners learned to blend the different components to create the most effective form. This view also emphasized my often times cynical perception that the media has many hidden agendas in addition to relaying useful information. In fact, I still suspect that much of the news has a specific, although I would not dare say purposeful, blatant, or obvious strategy/plan of sensationalizing much of the daily hardships and challenges that people encounter. My perceptions also include a vague feeling of mass media attempts to generate fear. I’ve asked myself many times why would anyone want to create a more fearful public. Perhaps it is a mechanism used to generate a need for more information, as if the same people who make you fearful can in some way, at some time, provide information that will appease the fear, or give some clues to its resolution. The only other alternatives I can divine are that creating a fearful audience can somehow make people feel closer, as in having a common enemy, or the simple approach; fearful people are easier to control.

Religion has performed this skillful technique most proficiently for thousands of years, why not the evening news. Another form that I see in the media is the “justice” stories. These stories illustrate that every once in awhile poetic justice, or the God finger of karma, draws a line in the sand as if to say enough! I think these stories help the fearful people believe that sooner or later the bad guy’s gonna pay. It also creates the illusion that the good guys are in control and are looking out for you--the old “we’ll take care of everything you just mind your own business keep your head down and pay your taxes.” As suspicious or paranoid as this may sound, I’ve still been able to separate my emotions from the information delivery systems for the most part. I respect and appreciate the artful craft, techniques, timing, format, word choice, visual impact, audio changes, and the professional, and sometimes not so professional, presentation. With that aside I can say that my introduction to journalism course has afforded me an opportunity to look at the nuts and bolts of a well-oiled, working machine. I can appreciate all the work that goes into each and every story I hear on the radio, read in the paper/on the computer, or watch on the television. I’ll admit that some stubborn part of me still insists on hanging on to my opinion/perception that the teams of professionals working to keep the media machine running smoothly are true magical, mystical masters of shellacking and polishing stories in such a way that creates an incredible patina which viewers seem to find irresistible. This appears to be one of the most essential ingredients in reaching and capturing the desired audience.

I admire all the research that has to be done in order to piece together a really good story or article. After taking the class, I now think of who wrote the copy that the news anchor is reading from the prompter. Now when I read an article on the computer I will look for at least one other similar story and compare the facts. After I see the evening weather report on one channel, I flip to another station to compare their weather report, and then I split the difference between the two, and consequently believe less than half of what they say.  : ) I want to be idealistic, hopeful, innocent, trusting, sweet, and kind instead of suspicious, bitter, resentful, mean, and nasty. Several months ago I watched Ann Curry of the Today show interview His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and his reaction to her question of why he doesn’t follow the news more carefully most eloquently sums up my general opinion. He said “I find it neither helpful nor accurate.”  My inclination is to afford everyone the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t stand to feel as if I am being handled, manipulated, or coerced into something. Any indication that someone is running a game of trickery raises my cynical flag and puts the breaks on my ability to feel as if I am a willing participant; it challenges my concept of precious free will and I will never go gently into that good night. Thank You Dylan Thomas, Clarence Thomas, Danny and Marlo Thomas!

            Alix *