August 23, 2007
On loving and hating the media
Why do we have such a love/hate relationship with the media? The “fourth estate” is an essential part of democracy in action as a means of raising awareness of occurrences good and bad that deserve exposure to a wide audience. Yet plenty of us spend considerable time and effort calling out media organizations for inaccuracies, misinformation and bias, both perceived and authentic.
Certainly there have been rumblings in the local blogosphere about this, and a recent Pew Research study determined that our disdain for the media is even stronger on the Internet than elsewhere. All of this is happening during a time when most of us consume more and more diverse sources of information than ever before.
I’ll confess that I am a news junkie, and I have been since I was in middle school. I don’t always agree with what I read, and while I enjoy reading varied points of view on all kinds of issues, I still find myself frustrated at times when I think a reporter–or a blogger–is missing what I think is the most important information or perspective. I can’t go as far as saying I hate the media, and I certainly don’t agree with the commentary in the photo above (at least not most of the time). Here are the reasons I can see why we simultaneously can’t get enough and have had more than we can take of the media:
- Control. Ever walked around telling people how wrong you are about something? Me neither, at least not often. Ego is a driving force, for worse or for better, for all of us, and most everyone accepts–without much contemplation–that their opinion and perspective are right while contrary points of view are wrong. I think it’s easy to be angry at and frustrated with any soapbox that’s implying you’re mistaken, even when you are.
- Power. One of the most powerful arguments in favor of unrestricted media content is that reporting is a check against government and individual power. What happens when the media has as much power as those it is intended to check against? Nothing, unless you disagree with the media’s take on reality.
- Envy. This isn’t true for everyone, but many people covet the prominence and the notoriety granted to media organizations and to individual reporters.
I’m sure there are plenty more. I bring this subject up not to silence the mainstream media (if I even could) or to quiet the criticism catapulted against it. I wouldn’t mind seeing the hostility toned down a few notches, but in the end I think the public needs the media as much as the media needs the public. Let’s agree to disagree when we do and proclaim those differences loudly, but let’s do it with openness and respect.
![Rob Robinson](http://thinktrain.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/Rob.jpg")
Nathan Ketsdever said,
August 24, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
Interesting and salient post. I think you are correct to identify that both the media and the public need each other. However, I think you may be too quick to let off the media for its mishandling over covering recent issues like Sudan and Iraq.
I think one of the problems is you have three (or four if you count CNN) networks that try to be everything to everybody. Its like Malcomb Gladwell described before the age of choice we have before us now, we used to only have essentially one choice in terms of spaghetti sauce. However, unlike that scenario, the public is unhappy with its choices and knows it.
I think new media will be some answer to this, given that the costs are lower and allows for niche marketing (see Chris A.’s The Long Tail). However, I worry that new media outlets for national and international news may not have enough resources. While weekly shows, documentary productions, or commentary have shown great strides, actual ongoing street level video coverage may largely be left to mainstream outlets. A world three to five years down the road in these areas may be largely different.
newscoma said,
August 25, 2007 @ 9:59 am
What a great breakdown of things.
From my perspective, on a small scale, the problem is that sales/advertising has become more important than news although this has happened for years.
The reason why I think this is happening is that major news corporations are just that, corporations.
There is a transition right now to a digital market, and believe me, some folks are cutting edge, some are being left in the dust.
With that said, the days of gutsy news reporters are a thing of the past. Blogs are picking up the slack.
AND, if you’ve noticed, some mainstream markets are seeing this and fighting back with their own blogs or attacking blogs.
I do believe we will see a huge change in the next five years.
But as long as corporations on the big guys and are actively involved, there is a problem. It’s the little guys (hard-core reporters, blogs, the occasional maverick editor) that will also facilitate change as well.
Sorry to hijack here.