As a political science student, the most important part of my homework is reading the news every day, understanding the biases in it, and coming up with my own understanding of the chaos that appears to be happening. Regardless, I am by no means a current events savant.
I have heard people say this time and time again: the world has always felt like it is ending, that’s how the news stays interesting. Yes, reading the news everyday makes me feel like the world is ending. Literally, in the way that our environment will soon not be able to provide us what we need to survive as a human society, or in the way that American politics has become worse than an episode of the Kardashians. Also in the way that terror appears in every aspect of our lives.
Here is what I see as the biggest problems with the media:
The biggest companies are owned by the rich, therefore they get to decide what we learn about the news, and basically what we believe. There are currently six major corporations which control most of the media in the United States. That is, six corporations that decide what we hear, see and read, and ultimately what we know about the world, beyond what is around us.
Are there only six opinions out there? Is it really possible to achieve a well-rounded understanding of current events with only six main sources? Yes. But most Americans do not go out of their ways to do so. The mainstream media is way too convenient. I too am guilty of not going out of my way to get my news from non-mainstream media.
For those of us, most of us, who do fall into the trap of mainstream media, the news always sounds like the world is ending. Still, most of the news is not being reported. We hear mostly about attacks in westernized civilizations. And I believe the only reason we are beginning to hear about ISIS attacks in underdeveloped countries is because they are directly related to the attacks faced by the industrialized world—the people who matter to those reporting the news. Okay, I may be a little extreme to say that the media royalty only care about people in the first world. Yes, it is a little negative, but it is not irrational. There is little opportunity to make money in reporting on developing countries, while more profit opportunity in industrialized countries.
I continuously read endless pages on Trump but only a page or two about issues that really matter. Meanwhile, true atrocities around the world are being forgotten, overlooked, and neglected. Has this always been the case? Have generations upon generations grown up and learned from the media exactly what the rich who control it want them to learn? I hope not, but it is not unbelievable. Will this continue for generations to come? I think so. But people are starting to understand more and more where their news is coming from, and the different biases that come with it. This is good—but there is still seldom accessible alternatives to learning current events—we need more diversity in media outlets and ownership!!
Take control of your own knowledge. Know where your news comes from, question it, do more research on it. Don’t let the mainstream media be the only source of your beliefs.
