Monday, July 27, 2009

To Cap It Off

Well, we are at the end of our semester. But perhaps there's something you wanted to say about the media that we haven't covered. Here's your opportunity to speak. I'd like you to discuss your top 3 issues you have with the media. These can be things you think the media does poorly or does complimentary. It's your 3 issues to vent. Perhaps there are issues we didn't talk about. Remember, you're creating the post here so any links you can give to back up your argument would be appreciated.

14 comments:

marjorie said...

I don't have much else to say about the media. However,I do think that the media does reveal too much about the personal lives of government officials, celebrities, etc. In my opinion, they seem to present mostly false information just to make it fit the preference of what they think people want to hear about. I think think they do all of the crooked things just to make profits.

The last thing is I do not like about the media is that they never dwell on things that are good. Positive things are reported briefly and rarely focused on. Sometimes I would like to turn on the news and see something good happening. Last but not least, the one thing that I really like about the media is that things are reported rapidly. Any new information that you want to hear about will be posted quickly.

Unknown said...

My issues with the media...hmmmm, let me see. I hate it when the media takes a story and run it till your ears bleed. I loved Michael Jackson all my life, but how many times can a person hear about how he died? They made a t.v. mystery about things that were private. Did his doctor do it? What happened in his final days? Who will get the children? Where will he be buried? That was not America's business and everytime I saw a show leaning toward that topic, I changed the channel or turned the televison off! That is not news, it's a conspiracy theory. His being a celebrity was no excuse for that either. Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett died in the same week as Michael,but I guess their lives weren't riddled with enough scandal and entrigue for them to rebroadcast with no shame or morals.

REALITY SHOWS!!! There are way too many taking up time slots that could go to something worth watching, like reruns of Jem and the Holograms and the Thundercats. Someone needs to alert the media that ALL reality shows aren't entertainment or good television. And for those not old enough to know better or rememeber, Big Brother was not the first reality show. It was Cops. Can't get more real than that.
Anyone want to know how many reality shows exist? You would be amazed.

http://www.realitytvworld.com/realitytvworld/allshows.shtml

This site lists all the reality shows that are currently airing and those that aired in the past. Have fun and try not to fall alseep.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not totally opposed to reality t.v. but it does somehow kill your interest when contestants and participants give a tell all after the show is done. Does it not? To find that all that you raved about and discussed at the watercooler was staged? And how many times can an intelligent sane person watch idiotic dating shows...Tila Tequila!

My final beef with the media is the price you pay to be entertained in your home. I have all forms of media in my home from magazines to satellite televison and it's all expensive. I ditched regular cable years ago but it had gotten expensive and didn't have the programming to substantiate the price I paid. We complained, they gave questionaires asking what channels we'd want and with those added channels came an added price which defeated the entire purpose of what we as consumes were trying to achieve. Speaking of cost for convenience and entertainment, what about what we pay for internet access on our phones?

Did you know that some cell phones companies tell you that you have to purchase the media package
(that can cost as much as $100) if you buy a smartphone? That is combined with other features as well. I have three frinds who are customers of Cellular South. Only one needed the package because he is a social worker and receives e-mails all through the day pertaining to his clients but the other two just bought their phones...because they were pretty but complain about their bills and that the internet gives them a lot of problems. I'm with Cingular and I had a choice. I kept my media package for a while but when I saw the bill, I called and got rid of everything I didn't need or use. I found it frightening to have a cell bill that exceeded that of the home landline! Whatever I need to Google can wait until I get home to the laptop.

ChaosandOrder said...

I do love the fact that you can find out just about anything these days through the media on the internet. Of course those who are not so good at sorting out fact or fiction are at a disadvantage from those who want to make a quick buck screwing others over. There is such a huge collaboration among the scientific community through the Internet that is pushing discoveries much more quickly. It is also crazy how now many people can take things into their own hands, like diagnosing a disease
by researching on the internet and finding something your doctor missed. That kind of media is priceless. Of course there are always those 'victims' that think their life sucks so much more than anyone else's and they try to find things wrong with themselves to perpetuate the victim lifestyle. I bet doctors fear those people.

One issue I do have with media is the parental controls that work off of the TV rating system. I of course have always monitored my daughters TV, but when she got a little older I set the parental controls on the TV to make sure she didn't do any late night TV surfing. What makes me upset is that there are shows she could not watch that I deemed appropriate on the TV7 control, but also shows that I did not deem fit that she was allowed to watch on the TV7 control. It's like our society is just throwing away the innocence of our children. I personally do not believe that it’s appropriate for a 6 year old child to be watching shows about teenagers dating, kissing, and sneaking boys into their rooms. These are things that are appropriate according to the rating system and Disney channel for 6 and 7 year old children. This is probably why you see 9, 10, and 11 year olds having sex and getting pregnant. If a 7 year old sees herself relating to a 16 year old then it won’t take many years for her to see herself as much older than she really is. If these people are allowed to say that it is okay for these age kids to watch this kind of stuff, then we should be allowed to teach these kids how to have safe sex. If our society wants to also teach kids that parents are stupid (majority of tween shows portray parents in this fashion) then it will be the responsibility of another authority to teach these kids anything. This of course is my opinion and I no longer allow my daughter to watch Disney channel and she fully understands why this is so. She is also regulated on how much TV she watches. I’m not putting blame on the media, but we as a society have a responsibility to help out those kids that their parents don’t give a flying fuck about what they do as long as they stay out of their hair. These are the kids that need extra guidance and only get what is fed through media. This is the next generation that will be running our country and I really don’t want to die watching hundreds of years of work go down the drain because the media wanted to make a few extra bucks at the cost of morality.

I also agree with Marjorie and the negativity of the media especially the news. I would love to turn on the TV and be able to hear about all kinds of new discoveries or happy things that happened. I don’t want to watch the news, because you always have to hear about some kind of corruption or rape or murder. It is getting ridiculous. CBS News Sunday Morning is a good start for an example of positive news.

mhayes said...

The media needs boundaries. I feel that the media whether its television, internet or any other form need boundaries. I think alot of times the media is looking for a good story and fail to think about who they are affecting. I think the media needs to only discuss things are the truth. I get so tired of hearing about speculation. People only speculate and report on certain things because it is a popular subject and they have to keep people drawn in. They don't care whether its true or not. They just want a good story. Lastly, I think the media should know when to stop. They will cover a story forever. I know they think they may have to stick with a story as long as they can but it gets old to me. Alot of times I will follow a story and I get so tired of hearing about it I almost don't want to turn on the television. So,to sum it all up, the media needs to get a life.

Lanna Nations said...
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Lanna Nations said...

My problem with the media is that it has become more of a gossip outlet. I don't need to know what celebrities are doing all throughout the day. Also, most of the stories that you hear or read about don't even have any truth to them. I agree with other posts that say that there needs to be some boundaries with the media because it has turned into an invasion of privacy.
It seems as though media outlets are looking for the big story to either get ratings boosted, or make money, or both.
I imagine that it depends on what your taste is that determines what you watch or read, but I prefer stories that inform you of facts that you need to know because they have an effect on you. I also like hearing about positive stories or "heroes" that sacrifice for the benefit of others. These are stories that you rarely hear about, but when you do you think thank goodness there are still decent people in the world. I also agree with another post that said they wanted more appropriate programs for children. I no longer have cable because I never watched the junk that was on. I do have the basic channels and my child watches PBS Kids in the mornings and that's about it, other than the DVDs that I pick out for him to watch.
There are certain things from the media that I enjoy watching like 60 Minutes or Dateline, when they have warm and fuzzy stories, or factual reports, or medical studies. The good thing is though if you don't want to watch it you can simply tune it out.

Meryl said...

The media and how I feel about it, what to say?....Well since I could ramble on and on about the negative, Ill take a different route and actually talk about the things I enjoy from the media.

Timeliness. If it wasn't for headline news and "this just in." I don't know where I would be. There is something people and I espically enjoy about being the first one to know something when it happens. When talking in a group of people its always neat to be there person to know all the things that are going on in the world and the most recent story. I thank the media for there constant commitment to being up to date. And that they compete with each other to have the best story, it keeeps me flipping on my TV and strangly I enjoy this.

Secondly,I enjoy all the different sources of the media. I LOVE getting a new magazine, something about picking up the newest edition of my favorite colorful slick page turner really gets me smiling. To add to that, there is something timeless about reading a newspaper, sure the online stuff is great but im happy the old ways havent faded out. I like tradition.

Lastly, I think I will mention something that bothers me about the media...The invasivness. Sure its great for most stories and just part of the job, but being from a small town and seeing an old friends dads suicide plastered across the front page of the local paper really burns me up.

Abbi said...

I agree with several of the comments that have already been made regarding negative aspects of the media. The three main issues I have with the media is (1) how they take a story, i.e. Michael Jackson, and run with it for SO long, (2) Negative stories = news, there are never any heartwarming stories, and (3) the biased reporting.

(1) The first one can be seen almost everyday, but the best recent example is the Michael Jackson story. At first all of the coverage was interesting. I learned a lot about him, but eventually enough was enough. The media thinks ooh this is a good story we better latch onto i, but they stick with one story WAY too long.
(2) I honestly don't even watch the news anymore and I screen what I read online because it is all negative. If you watch the news and read the paper you start feeling like EVERYTHING that happens in this society is negative because that is all you read.
(3) I know that this is a controversial issue, but I do believe that the media coverage of everything is biased, on both sides. And, to be completely honest I am ok with that, if they would just admit it. Don't lie straight to my face and say that you don't have an opinion or that your opinion isn't swaying your reporting. Just be up front, then I can decide for myself if what you are saying is true or not.

Susan Fulgham said...

I think that members of the media should take a look at our blog. We all seem to agree on several points. First, I too am tired of the media dwelling on one story for so long. I realize that Michael Jackson was famous, but he was a person. He was a person with a family and children that deserve privacy. I cannot imagine how his children feel about all of the controversy and attention his death has received. I only hope that they have been sheltered from some of this media frenzy. He was not nearly this popular the day before he died. I did not buy his music then, and I have not bought any since his death. I think it is ridculous how all of a sudden the media is so hung up on reporting Michael Jackson stories, and people are going out and buying his music like it's the latest and greatest thing. Of course, this is not the only example of the media dwelling on a story. Any types of high profile murder cases or scandals receive insane amounts of media coverage as well.

Another thing that bothers me about the media is the fact that these stories they dwell on are always negative. If Michael Jackson had donated one billion dollars to charity, there probably would have been a news story about it, but by now, it would be forgotten about by the media. I like hearing about positive stories with happy endings. The world is not all about murder, lies, and stealing. I want to hear about the "good stuff."

My last complaint is similar to the first two complaints. The nightly news is extremely graphic. I have two small children. I do not try to shelter them from the world. They know that there are good people and bad people out there. They have lost a pet, and now they know about death. However, I want to teach them life's hard lessons on my on terms. I do not want the six o'clock news doing it for me. We don't even watch the news at my house anymore because all they report about is drugs, sex, and crime. I don't plan on sheltering my children from these subjects either, but they are too young to get an education about it now. They are not even in school yet! I don't want them growing up thinking that they world is a dark and scary place. There are still plenty of good people out there doing good things. Let's hear about it on the news for a change.

sharon howard said...

Michael Jackson is the headliner in every form of media. He probably will finally “die” by October. Michael will resurrect again on his anniversary of his death. Media makes every public figure such as a celebrity or a politician dead or alive a target. Media, in my opinion, can either make or break a public figure’s career or personal life. Media is a profitable gossip mill that knows the “public” needs its daily fix on other people’s lives.
Media does have a good side on this gossip mill. Media does help people to focus on diseases such as diabetes, AIDS, and cancer as well as family problems such as drugs addictions and teen pregnancy when a public figure goes through it. When the public see that public figures are regular people not gods, they know to get checkups for their family as well as communicate better with their family.
Media has an extreme negative side also. Media has no moral compass. Language has become graphic and vulgar. Children must watch and listen to filth. They must watch the extreme violent and sex on cartoons, music videos, and television shows.
Media, in my opinion, is only good for keeping up with the current events in the world. It can only get better if we start to address its shortcoming. Meanwhile if you have a problem with the media, you just have to shut it off.

cstone042 said...

It does not take a doctorate degree to know that the majority of the, so called, journalist on television and radio are bias. I know this first hand from my 2 deployments to Baghdad and 30 miles south of Baghdad in the triangle of death. I am a news junky, and while I was deployed I watched Fox news, the BBC, and CNN on a regular basis. Out of all 3 of these media giants that I was able to watch not one report what was truly happening in the region. Fox reported news that made it look like we were kicking ass and taken names. The BBC and CNN reported news that made it look like the war was impossible to win and we should just quit. It was obvious that these news outlets were just catering to their demographic and trying to milk as much ratings as possible out of the suffering of Iraqi citizens and American troops none of which chose to fight this war. The men and women through out the world deserve better. I believe people have forgotten that there was a tremendous amount of support for the war in Iraq from the American people and both political parties, not to mention every news corporation. To sum up my argument, the majority of journalists today only care about their bottom line and not reporting the truth.
The second problem I see in today’s Media is the obsession with celebrities even the ones who are only famous for being rich and acting badly. It does not make any ones life better to hear that Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohen are flashing their lady parts in public. Who cares that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson have broken up. The poparotsy are out of control in the United States and Britain. Poparotsy is just another name for stalker. If people acted like that in this part of the country they would be punched in the face, if not worse and no judge or jury would prosecute the person who did it. There are certain social norms that people should respect and invading a person’s privacy is at the top of my list. If people spent half the time they do following the lives of celebrities and reading books, and trying to improve their life or the life of someone else the world would be a better place. I’m just as guilty as anyone else, but people we need to change the way we act. If we stop tuning in I guarantee this behavior would stop.
The third problem I see in the Media is journalist taking bits and pieces of a story and totally misinterpreting what the true point of what the person was trying to convey. You will see news anchors say things like “President Obama says the government will take control of the automotive industry.” It is probably true that the President did say this in his speech, but there was probably something said right after that statement that totally changed the meaning of the pervious statement.
If there is one thing I can say positive about the Media is that they fund CSPAN. CSPAN is the only place where you can gain information in its entirety and make your on decisions. Please, people try to get the whole story and make up your on mind. There is not too many people in this country who are not capable of making an educated decision if they are afforded the opportunity to get the whole story, and not just bits and pieces that are spun to hell and back. The O’Riely Factor has just as much spin as the rest of the Media. Good Day and Good Hunting.

tFisher said...
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tFisher said...

My main issue this week about the media is seeing the President having a "Beer Summit". In my memory I do not recall ever a president planning a drink of alcohol to discuss an issue that he never should comment about in the first place. Here he is being a role model for kids and young adults, as the first African American President of the US, and he brings up alcohol instead of just saying "I want to sit down with them and talk things out". The President is a member of the UCC (United Church of Christ) and one of the UCC websites state "According to the U.S. Surgeon General, drinking results in 5,000 deaths per year in the 21-and-under population. In 2004, underage youths accounted for more than 142,000 alcohol-related visits to the emergency room. In addition, youth who begin drinking by age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence as an adult as those who begin at 21 or older", from www.ucc.org/news/media-advocates-decry-grammy.html. Yet, here we show our President and UCC member even drinks alcohol. I don't down him for having a beer, but don't think he needs to announce it to the world what day he plans to drink that beer.
Reality tv is a media complaint of mine. Turn on your tube on any Tuesday night and see that there are at least three of these types of shows airing at one time. My choices usually are crime shows and reality shows. What happened to comedy shows? Doesn't anyone like to laugh still, and not just at others?
My last soap box would be the language that we allow on our tv. Prior to nine o'clock there is not reason for some of the language that we hear on our local channels. You expect it from our paid, movie channels but not from a show at 7 or 8pm. I don't want my two young sons having this exposure. These shows could get the same effect by choosing a different word choice. Have you watched a 'PG' movie lately? There is a least one, if not many more bad words in each one! This has been happening in movies for a while (just watch 'Grease' for proof), but it is now affecting our prime time local family tv. This all reflects on the morals and ethics of our society!
~Terry Fisher

James said...

There are so many things not to like about the media, but the pay off is the fact that without the media we wouldn't know what was going on 24 hours a day. We live in a society that wants to know the latest scoop on everything and we want to know like 30 minutes ago.

With this in mind, I do hate the way the media bombards the airwaves with the same story from every possible angle. When CNN and Fox News gets a hold of a good story all the evening news shows lead with the same story. They just hand the story off to each other which I think is a little over the top.

I can remember the wall to wall Hurricane Katrina coverage. I eventually had to cut it off, because I was glued to the coverage and seeing the destruction and the devastation began to effect my mood in a negative way.

Also, do we have to open the news coverage with the worst news possible, ever night? That bothers me as well. I think that's more society driven, because we love excitement, and a homicide or a robbery is exciting to us in a sick way. We want to hear all about it. In much the same way we slow down when we come upon a highway accident.

One final issue that I really have with the media are people like TMZ who won't give celebrities a break. I feel sorry for celebs at times because they are constantly be followed by these people in an attempt to get a picture of them doing something stupid or saying something stupid. I can only imagine how much hassle it is just to go to the market.