We've all heard this phrase before, whether we're watching TV with family and friends, or scrolling through social media: "Why is this news?"
Time and time again we read about things like who's the best dressed in Hollywood, a huge secret unveiled about some celebrity, or even a new world record made by a dog. We imagine news to be monumental, hard hitting, and something we would see on MSNBC, or BBC news. So, really, why are the things that I mentioned above even making it to our feeds and ears?
The key to this predicament is something we don't all actually realize. We tend to believe that news comes from some sort of unknown group of people above us that pick what is important to know and what is not. In actuality, there is obviously no "higher-than-thou" group above us. No one group decides what is news worthy. Really, it is us.
We choose what is newsworthy.
You're probably at the point where you're thinking now, "But wait, I don't think the Kardashians are newsworthy!" Well, you specifically might not. But the people around you and an apparently wide majority do.
News outlets don't put out random articles and hope people will buy it. It's much more carefully thought out. The main goals of these news outlets are ratings and, more importantly, money. They're not going to waste their money on something they're not sure of, and try to get the most for their buck (just so they can make even more).
The point is, if you click on the link, or if you tune in, even if you don't like it, you still count as a viewer. The more views an article or a show gets, the more similar information you're going to find the next week.
So, let's say you're still not okay with what you see in the news today, and you don't think it's worth seeing. What can you do about it? Well, first and foremost, stop clicking on those links and watching those shows. No matter how funny it may be to see how stupid it is, you're not going to get anywhere if you still give the news outlet your time. Cut it out of your life. If you want to go one step further than that, write to the news outlet or company that is presenting something you are not okay with and let them know how you feel! If more people did this, and these media outlets got all the negative feedback that I hear personally on a daily basis, I guarantee our everyday news would be monumentally different.
Once you realize this, the sky's the limit. We as individuals, and a community, have the power to change the news for the better and make it about what we really want to hear about. So take this as an opportunity to make a change. Let your voice be heard. What do you want to hear about?
