Rage Against the Media Machine

Yesterday night, in my pursuit of sleep I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the ever popular media masher, Mr. Jon Stewart’s A Daily Show. What a relief it was to watch a show dedicated to educating the masses of the powers of persuassion at play when it comes to news programs.  As discussed in class, it is clear that American news programs have become less about providing a non-biased, fact based medium of educating the public of current events. Their news is all about ratings and quick  interrupted glimpses of reality. It would appear that news programs have become more about appealing to our entertainment-craving minds then providing true facts. Is news really supposed to be entertaining? In my opinion, no. As soon as entertainment bombards our daily news shows, it becomes less about the issues at hand and more about the outfit that “Nancy B., Anchorwoman” is wearing, and the new joke that “Wain the Weather Man” has to offer.  I don’t think the media should take all the blame though. In part, I think that us, the viewers, have become so accustomed to our “fast-food lifestyles” that we no longer have the patience to listen to the whole story. Fragmented bits of the truth is all our attention spans will allow.  As much as I will praise Mr. Stewart for his valient attempts to make us aware of the manipulation behind our news, I really don’t think it is going to make any headway in the quality of broadcasting that is brought to our television stations. As sad as it is, I don’t think there is enough people who will advocate for change to make much headway for improvements. Convience is key. People live busy lives and perhaps, will sacrifice quality for quantity.  I am grateful to live in a country where our news is more about providing fair, unbiased facts then a glitzy overview.  I can assume though- that like many things in our culture- Canada too will follow in the footsteps of its big American sibling.Goodbye journalistic integrity — Hello show business!