When the Iraq war first started, I remember spending a few days straight just watching and waiting to hear any real news on what was going on. I had a friend who took part in the opening attacks and I desperately wanted to know what was happening. My news network of choice was CNN, who repeted the same news about every two to three hours around the clock.
Ever since then? The news is boring to me. I still do read through the daily news stories on AoL news when I log on, but I've stopped watching most news programs almost entirely. Why? Because most of it is overhyped and dramatized for viewers. All too often they have that one or two little extra news stories that are so important that they have to tell you to watch 10 hours from then. "Do you have a cannibalistic newt living in your digestive tract? Find out at 11".
If it's that important tell me now. But then there are websites and networks that are dedicated to tell you everything they can up to the minute. But then you run into stories about absolutely unneccesary people doing stupid things for attention. Then we get people like the balloon idiot who will do anything to get attention, even get his own children to lie for him when a nation full of people think his kid is inside and in danger.
The actual news is rarely ever either considered news or on the news. The fact that there were 3 confirmed cases of Swine Flu in Goodrich hasn't reached the news. Which, in my opinion, is overhyped and although people should take it seriously and act cautiously, I question how really severe and horribly dangerous this is or if it's another piece of information made for TV.
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Have you tried National Public Radio at 91.1? They have a news program called All Things Considered. I remember one news story that was told over three days, with each segment lasting about 20 minutes. They can afford to take the time needed to report any story and giving different points of view.
ReplyDeleteAbout four years ago a student of mine wasn't so sure if she wanted to spend time with a host family in Germany. She came to me for advice and I think I helped her make a decision. Two years later she came to visit me and said she spent a year in Germany and loved every minute of it. We talked for a while and then as she was leaving I asked her to quickly think of the biggest difference between Germany and the United States. She paused for a few seconds...and said "the news." She explained that the news in Germany is on for a half hour once a day - that's it.
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure what’s better for us the U. S.: sensationalized “news” over and over again and again on many stations (like we have not)…or the loss of all those jobs (which may lead for advancements in other professional fields).
Are we better off because we have so much news or is it affecting our perceptions of what really matters?
I absolutely think it tends to affect our perception of what matters. We are inundated by messages constantly, through the news media and other sources, and there is a tendency to become overloaded, or maybe worse, numb to it all.
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