Sorry Butter I don't have "A List" of things that bug me. It took me a few days to really consider what really bothers me. Reading your list, though, I found a common theme.
My confidence and admiration for the media has slowly gone downhill over the past few years. The irony in this is that, as a junior in high school, I wanted to be a newspaper editor. I was thrilled about getting out there, getting the story. I salivated at the idea of asking that one question no one else wanted to ask.
Now the news is a joke. Reporters and newscasters are nothing but vultures that poke and prod at the tragic and the horrific. They are no better than Hollywood directors, playing upon people's worst fears, serving the public a steaming pile of crap on a platter and calling it noteworthy or entertainment.
Why are stories about Jon and Kate on CNN? Why is Simon Cowell leaving American Idol breaking news? Why, for months, did we have to hear about Miley Cyrus's pole dancing? Or Adam Lambert's make out session with a guy on stage? Why did we see in-depth reporting on Michael Jackson, but only little snippets of Patrick Swayze, Ed McMahon?
How about the THOUSANDS of people dying in a war on the other side of the world???
It's sensationalism at its finest. They'll shove it down our throats until something new and even more shocking comes to light.
Take the most recent tragedy in Haiti. It was terrible thing to have happened to all those people. The story should be covered. Please don't doubt me on that. But they'll show you pictures of death, destruction and devastation. They will show you intense, heartbreaking images of suffering, and give you close up shots of someone's own personal hell. Not because they think it will help raise awareness, but because it will raise their ratings.
They say that they are giving what the people want - I don't buy it. I can't truly believe in my heart of hearts that this is acceptable to the majority of the people out there. If it is, then I fear we are doomed, forever listening how some dirty politician cheated on his wife or that Hannah Montana's shirt came unbuttoned during her latest concert. Isn't that what's really important, anyway?
its the curse of 24 hour news stations. Back when there were 3 stations and there was evening news, they had to only report the important suff because people hadn't heard it yet. Now that its 24 hours, they dont cover half as much stuff as deep becuase people already know about it. 24 hour news will be the downfall of this country...but i suppose as long as people continue to watch it, they will continue to produce.
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