It’s a good read, and while I don’t agree with all of it, my feelings on broadcast news and the industry in general are probably lower than Nagata’s.
Broadcast news is entertainment, and I put very little stock in anything that's reported on TV.
Canadians (and the problem isn't limited to Canada or N. America) really do need to wake up, and stop letting themselves be distracted by these partisan politics disguised as entertainment that the broadcast news industry loves to feed us. And I really do believe it is a distraction; one that is happening while both sides are systematically screwing our society—and letting it get screwed for years to come. And the media seems to just gobble it up and regurgitate it along with stories of princess Kate’s new hat so we can gobble it up while ignoring the real world.
And I think apathy and laziness plays a large part of the problem Nagata talks about. Either perceived by the media-laziness or the true thing—that’s why you have your Jon Stewarts, Rick Mercers, Michael Moores or Rush Limbaughs exploding in popularity. We now have these guys to tell us what to think about what’s going on rather than actually use our brains and decide for ourselves. Might be why newscasts are getting younger and more attractive: we aren't looking to be informed, we're looking to be entertained and stimulated.
There was a great line I came across once upon a time, but I can’t remember who said it--I think it was someone who works/worked at CNN at one point, ironically: “The media use to uncover the news, now it covers the news.” That saying tells so much about the state of the industry.
Last edited by Sr. Mints; 07-12-2011 at 06:29 AM.
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