IN THIS DAY AND AGE?
Amazing, that with in the "age of information" the major mass media outlets just barely touch the surface of issues. Is it because the public has a short attention span? Or, rather is the media not giving us enough answers? Rather than being thoroughly informed, I would not be surprised if the average person comes away with more questions than answers, after a story has been aired. I am not speaking about specialized channels of information, I am speaking of the mass media of syndicated television.
Could the lack of in depth information be denial? How is it that "all of a sudden" we are in economic disaster? These things don't just happen over night, they happen over a period of time. Where was the expansive coverage of that? What about the exposure of corruption being rewarded in the corporate world? How about greedy mortgage companies that largely contributed to the housing fall that we are in?
This is serious business and not just an American problem. If we look at the global market, there are serious problems going on there as well. We all effect each other. We need the media to keep us WELL informed. We don't want short sensationalized stories that make the public panic, we want in depth information that will help us make better choices. And perhaps with more balanced information people wouldn't be so turned off about getting civically involved.
I am not say that there are no good media outlets; I am just saying that the most commercialized media outlets have a lot of power, and if the focus is keep on sensationalism, media collectivism, profits, and soft news, it is doing the American public a great injustice.
3 comments:
I agree that this crisis did not happen overnight. The media failed to fullfill their role as a "watchdog". In fact, they accepted President Bush's statements a few months ago that our "economy is stable" without questioning the truth of that fact or exploring the validity of the public's expressed concerns that the economy was not OK.
Information? in raw form? Then how would you be told what your opinion is supposed to be?
I would like a transcript of the congressional debates from the 1st bill. What was included and what wasn't? Then comparison to the current bill. What need do all of these added provision address? Protections for "main st"? I want to see specifically what those protections are.
Probably next year, the full story will unveil and we will understand the issue better, but by then it will be a hindsight analysis of the current problem. As always.
Yes, on not knowing what to believe after most broadcasts, altho I must admit I only watch Fox now that it's obvious there is no longer any real journalism on any other U.S. station.
Gotta go.
I somewhat disagree with your analysis. I agree that the "mass media" doesn't do an adequate job of providing context to the point where the average person can understand the financial crisis and the solutions presented to fix it. But the age of information includes going around and researching for yourself. There is thousands of pages of research and analysis for the financial crisis and its proposed solution. If network and cable shows went into all of them, nobody would listen anyway.
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