I woke up on January 1, 2017, and tiredly reached for my phone. What I was presented with in terms of news looked a little like this:
“Hollywood Sign Vandalized to Read ‘Hollyweed’”
“Mariah Carey Walks Off Stage After Technical Snag”
“Mariah Carey Shakes Off New Year’s Eve Lip-Sync Meltdown: ‘S*** Happens’”
“Istanbul Attack: ISIS claims Nightclub Shooting”
I was shocked. I stared at the news and continued to scroll, seeing more Mariah Carey, more Hollyweed. The aforementioned topics were front and center on every outlet I scrolled though. But why?
Is this was the media deems as important? Dozens were murdered in Istanbul, and yet we’re talking about Mariah Carey and the Hollywood sign? Seriously?
It’s a reoccurring theme in the media—if only because it is a business, like anything else—to post things in terms of intrigue. It’s incredibly sad, and in a way appalling, to recognize the fact that we live in a world where people are more apt to show interest and concern in the vandalizing of an iconic sign than a terrorist attack that killed innocent people. Thus, I’m left to wonder if this situation will ever change. I’m left to wonder if the media will ever stop aiming for intrigue, and instead aim to educate, and aim to show importance to the things that deserve it.
With that said, media coverage during the 2016 election was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Every time I watched a broadcast, I was bombarded with news about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, with emphasis on the former, for a majority of the broadcast. Trump and his foolishness was, in essence, the top story every time. Meanwhile, Aleppo was being devastated, the Syrian refugee crisis was continuing on painfully, Standing Rock needed support more than ever. Crises were happening all over the world, and the primary focus of the media was on Donald Trump and his tweets, as if he needed any more attention. Now, I’m not saying that election coverage wasn’t important, but was it really important enough to overshadow everything else? Granted, other matters were covered, but not to the extent they deserved and still deserve as post-election coverage continues to be at the forefront.
The media is the primary source of education on current events for many. They turn on CNN, watch it intently, and feel as though they’re caught up on everything that is important. The sad truth is that CNN, NBC, HLN, etc. oftentimes shift focus away from what is important in favor of what will catch the attention of their viewers.
Broadcast networks aren’t the be all, end all. Large media outlets don’t tell you everything. Make the choice to educate yourself.
