The Media: It’s Really None of Their Business
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Do the media sometimes go too far in reporting a particular story? Do they sometimes exceed their boundaries just in an attempt to cover all angles of a report? Let’s delve into this all-too-common situation.
The media consists of every single journalist, news reporter and paparazzi member on the planet. Although television networks want their news teams gathering as much information as possible regarding a specific event, sometimes the reporters probe a bit too far into the issues at hand.
My first example of this is in the recent U.S. election. Do you remember ‘Joe the Plumber?’ Before the election, he was a regular person like the rest of us. All of a sudden, he disagrees with one of Obama’s key campaign platforms, and he becomes the next Access Hollywood celebrity. The media turns their every attention to him, focusing all of their cameras on his next move and his next statement. Within one day, an average person transforms into the next Bill O’Reilly just because of the media. Just think of the huge publicity this random guy is obtaining with the help of every news network across North America.
When Barack’s two daughters attended their first day of private school, the media was all over them. “What are the Obama girls going to have for lunch today?” Does anyone agree with me when I say, “Honestly, who cares?” What difference does it make whether they’re eating a turkey sandwich or a bowl of tomato soup? Do you see me staring into the window of my next-door neighbor, looking at what they’re eating and then saying, “OH MY GOD! They’re having a Big Mac for lunch! THAT IS SO COOL!” I don’t think so.
Recently, it was announced that Barack had purchased a Wii for his family. Aside from Nintendo gaining massive publicity from this by being able to advertise slogans such as, “Wii. The official gaming console of the White House,” what other purpose does this serve? So the president and his family enjoy playing video games. What gives? I have a Wii. Other people have a Wii. It’s a $250+ piece of technology that the majority of us can afford, never mind a president with an estimated household income of over $3 million – and that was before he became president. Although I did find it quite amusing that several people said it was no surprise, considering he picked the campaign slogan, “Yes, Wii can!” Quite a pun, isn’t it?
I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, the personal lives of any person on this planet are none of the media’s business, unless said person wants the media involved in their life. I watch entertainment shows such as ET and Access Hollywood, but not because I want to know what Britney Spears is doing next weekend, but because I want to watch the trailers for the upcoming movies, such as the new Star Trek film debuting in May 2009.
I don’t care about the celebrities’ lives – they’re already making millions of dollars every year. Having the media only interview the rich and popular people of society seems to be insulting the rest of us. We’re not popular. We’re not rich. So what is the media implying? That we’re not as important as the rest of the population on this planet? Everyone’s supposed to be treated equally. Isn’t equality something that everyone strives for? Will there ever be a point in the existence of mankind when everyone is just as important as everyone else?
5 Comments
I agree with you. They are hungry for stories that are not informative or enriching in any sense of the word. It has become annoying and dangerous, one of these days they are going to drive one of those celebrities to suicide.
I’ve often wondered what the media’s gain is by hounding celebrity’s daily lives. What’s their gain, other than profit? Take away a celebrity’s mystique, and they’re just like everyone else. It’s only because of the media, that celebrities gain such near “god-like” status. And I often believe that because of the pressure to be “perfect” in such a voyeuristic world, that many young and talented celebrities end up crashing and burning. It’s quite sad to think of how the media plays to the sadistic curiosity of society.
Dialga, good work again! So, you’re a prolific writer, cheers!
Top article, I am studying journalism at university but steering my career away from the newspaper sector because of the reasons you have stated in your article.
Good article. I agree with all that you say apart from the last bit. I’m really happy that the media ignores us in our private lives. I’m glad that I don’t have someone with a zoom lens watching me picking my nose or something!