After a long day of giving thanks for all the bountiful things we are blessed with, families across the nation load up in their cars and drive out to the stores to stand in line and fight people over new sales. This tradition seems to get worse and worse every year.
I remember when I was 14 years old, thought I ran the world, and I insisted on going shopping with my mom that year. We went to bed on thanksgiving night and we woke up and went to the stores when they opened at 5:00 Friday morning. That was early for us! This year stores are opening as early as 8:00 Thursday night, which is now creating this craze of "Grey Thursday" - the pre-sale of the sales.
I think the media has made this shopping madness worse and worse. Usually, we would get the Thursday Thanksgiving paper and lay out what we were going to shop for the next day. Now, the news stations make "Black Friday" and "Grey Thursday" major headlining stories. Advertisers live for Black Friday commercials. There are now apps you can download that will help you find the best shopping spots with the least "traffic" etc.
The media constantly mentioning the ridiculous deals creates a hype in the community. The hype is what makes advertisers want to create more ads. They hype is what makes companies want to create more and more deals and open earlier and earlier.
The media frames how society acts and moves. If the media didn't talk about or advertise these amazing deals every Thanksgiving holiday, there would be less of a hype and more time spent with families and loved ones. I'm all for a good deal, but I think the shopping madness has gotten out of control. Thanksgiving is a holiday about giving thanks, being grateful for what we have, and spending time with loved ones. The media has turned it into a ridiculous consumer holiday.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
When political figures do drugs....
It recently came out that the Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, stated that he has smoked crack cocaine. He then got very violent with the press when they questioned him on it later. A few weeks later he made a statement that said he would've admitted sooner if the question had been posed to him correctly. They previously asked him, "Do you do drugs?" not "Have you done drugs?" Two different questions, two different answers.
There's a stir in the media over this, many residents of Toronto no longer want him as their Mayor. They don't want someone who does drugs running their city. Someone asked me recently my thoughts.
Do I think that what someone has done in their past should be held against them for life?
It depends.
And let me explain using a hypothetical situation.
James is a 21-year-old college student. He's at a party where people around him are smoking marijuana. He decides he wants to try some. He does, doesn't really care for it, and never does it again. Two years later, James graduates Suma Cum Laude from his University and lands a job with a major law firm in a big city. Fast-forward ten years and James is running for a political office in his city. One of the people he went to college with comes forward and says he saw James partaking in recreational drugs once. Should James still be allowed to run for office?
Yes, he should. He was 21-years-old, he experimented, he learned from it, he became a better version of himself, and is now a respectable lawyer. That one night in college shouldn't matter. He was in his learning phase. If James had continued to use marijuana recreationally, let it affect his grades, dropped out of college and committed a major crime (assault, battery, murder, etc.) then I could understand why people wouldn't want them running his city.
Think about yourself for a minute? Is there something in your past that you wish you hadn't done? Is there something that if you were running for office, if it were to come up, it would haunt you? If you just cringed at the thought, then you're in the same boat.
Now, I don't think James' situation is the same as Mayor Rob Ford's. But I do think it's something that needs to be brought up. I don't think something like this should be a factor in whether or not someone is qualified to run for office. I feel the same way about adultery with political figures - just because someone isn't happy in their marriage, doesn't mean they aren't capable of running a city or state.
I know my opinion is extremely controversial, so I would love to hear what others think!
There's a stir in the media over this, many residents of Toronto no longer want him as their Mayor. They don't want someone who does drugs running their city. Someone asked me recently my thoughts.
Do I think that what someone has done in their past should be held against them for life?
It depends.
And let me explain using a hypothetical situation.
James is a 21-year-old college student. He's at a party where people around him are smoking marijuana. He decides he wants to try some. He does, doesn't really care for it, and never does it again. Two years later, James graduates Suma Cum Laude from his University and lands a job with a major law firm in a big city. Fast-forward ten years and James is running for a political office in his city. One of the people he went to college with comes forward and says he saw James partaking in recreational drugs once. Should James still be allowed to run for office?
Yes, he should. He was 21-years-old, he experimented, he learned from it, he became a better version of himself, and is now a respectable lawyer. That one night in college shouldn't matter. He was in his learning phase. If James had continued to use marijuana recreationally, let it affect his grades, dropped out of college and committed a major crime (assault, battery, murder, etc.) then I could understand why people wouldn't want them running his city.
Think about yourself for a minute? Is there something in your past that you wish you hadn't done? Is there something that if you were running for office, if it were to come up, it would haunt you? If you just cringed at the thought, then you're in the same boat.
Now, I don't think James' situation is the same as Mayor Rob Ford's. But I do think it's something that needs to be brought up. I don't think something like this should be a factor in whether or not someone is qualified to run for office. I feel the same way about adultery with political figures - just because someone isn't happy in their marriage, doesn't mean they aren't capable of running a city or state.
I know my opinion is extremely controversial, so I would love to hear what others think!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
This year I'm thankful for....Health Insurance?
Yesterday I saw this tweet made by President Obama, or at least his social media marketing person.
After I laughed, I was annoyed. I sincerely hope that this wasn't our President, that it was his social media manager - who needs to be promptly fired. Here's what is wrong with this post:
First things first - Yes, I get it. Health Insurance is extremely important, especially during the cold/flu season. You never know when you could come down with a fever that could put you in the hospital and cost you a fortune in medical bills. Personal note: I have a chronic disease that, during the colder months, often disables me from being able to walk. Sometimes it gives me so much pain that I have to go to the hospital and get pain medicine and evaluated. It affects my blood pressure and my anxiety. So do I think it's important to have health insurance, especially during months that you could get sick faster? Yes, I absolutely do.
However.
And this is a big however....
The holidays are for spending time with loved ones reminiscing, following traditions and making new ones, doing the things that are truly important. Is talking to Aunt Sally, that you haven't seen in over a year, about visiting the new healthcare website really what I want to be doing? Do I want to sit around a fire on Christmas day with my family after opening presents and say, "You know what would be great? Let's all sign up for health care."
Of course these are hyperbole examples, but do you see how ridiculous this sounds? I get it, market your new website/healthcare plan on every social media site that you have. Just don't try to bring my family and my personal time with loved ones over the holidays into your political business. It's a marketing ploy, but it's a terrible one.
Healthcare.gov has zero to do with my family Christmas.
And it won't.
Ever.
After I laughed, I was annoyed. I sincerely hope that this wasn't our President, that it was his social media manager - who needs to be promptly fired. Here's what is wrong with this post:
First things first - Yes, I get it. Health Insurance is extremely important, especially during the cold/flu season. You never know when you could come down with a fever that could put you in the hospital and cost you a fortune in medical bills. Personal note: I have a chronic disease that, during the colder months, often disables me from being able to walk. Sometimes it gives me so much pain that I have to go to the hospital and get pain medicine and evaluated. It affects my blood pressure and my anxiety. So do I think it's important to have health insurance, especially during months that you could get sick faster? Yes, I absolutely do.
However.
And this is a big however....
The holidays are for spending time with loved ones reminiscing, following traditions and making new ones, doing the things that are truly important. Is talking to Aunt Sally, that you haven't seen in over a year, about visiting the new healthcare website really what I want to be doing? Do I want to sit around a fire on Christmas day with my family after opening presents and say, "You know what would be great? Let's all sign up for health care."
Of course these are hyperbole examples, but do you see how ridiculous this sounds? I get it, market your new website/healthcare plan on every social media site that you have. Just don't try to bring my family and my personal time with loved ones over the holidays into your political business. It's a marketing ploy, but it's a terrible one.
Healthcare.gov has zero to do with my family Christmas.
And it won't.
Ever.
Media Stirs Sports Politics
When most people hear the word "politics" they immediately think of the government. However, politics is the theory of influencing another on a civic or individual level. There's a big story circulating in the sports world about bullying in the NFL.
You can read about the story here. The story has been ongoing but it has obtained much media attention, especially the news segments of Sports Center. Most viewers tune in to see the highlights from sporting events from the night before, but lately the top story has been this bullying issue.
This is not the first time the sports world has made court cases major news stories. Remember Tiger Woods' sex-addiction incident? They were all over that. Granted, they are a sports-news channel but they spent more time than was necessary on this story. Viewers were frustrated at how intense the coverage was and how there was a lack of actual sports information. Viewers wanted information on injuries related to their teams, the standings for playoffs, etc.
The media made these issues "political" - they didn't merely report the facts, they sat on their show and argued different sides of the story back and forth. They made jokes, poked fun at, and teased about it. They wanted to voice their opinion on which side of the story they stood and why. This isn't reporting the facts, this is political banter.
CNN and Fox News aren't the only channels with shows that have political banter. Many shows on Sports Center turn a simple sports-related news story into a political discussion.
You can read about the story here. The story has been ongoing but it has obtained much media attention, especially the news segments of Sports Center. Most viewers tune in to see the highlights from sporting events from the night before, but lately the top story has been this bullying issue.
This is not the first time the sports world has made court cases major news stories. Remember Tiger Woods' sex-addiction incident? They were all over that. Granted, they are a sports-news channel but they spent more time than was necessary on this story. Viewers were frustrated at how intense the coverage was and how there was a lack of actual sports information. Viewers wanted information on injuries related to their teams, the standings for playoffs, etc.
The media made these issues "political" - they didn't merely report the facts, they sat on their show and argued different sides of the story back and forth. They made jokes, poked fun at, and teased about it. They wanted to voice their opinion on which side of the story they stood and why. This isn't reporting the facts, this is political banter.
CNN and Fox News aren't the only channels with shows that have political banter. Many shows on Sports Center turn a simple sports-related news story into a political discussion.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
SNL Mocks Stress
Saturday Night Live is the king of taking a political stress and turning it into something the nation can laugh about. They use this tactic to get ratings, sure, but the main point is to bring to light a heavy political situation.
The following sketch is a, hilarious, look at how stressful President Obama's second term has been.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/560086#i0,p0,d0
Whether you're Democrat or Republican, you have to admit that it's at least a little funny. SNL airs on NBC, which is known to report more left than other stations. Regardless how supportive they are of the Democratic party, they are able to efficiently point out the problems their party is making in congress.
To me, this shows a level of unbias. Sure there's a jab at the Republican Party at the end of the sketch, but as of late, SNL has poked fun at both parties equally. No political figure is off limits, even political figures in Canada get poked fun of. They recently did a sketch poking fun of the Toronto Mayor who was crude to the media and was accused of doing crack.
SNL will always receive criticism for poking fun at political figures, but that's their job. These political figures should know better by now. While NBC might be known for its bias toward the Democratic party, they are fair in poking fun at both parties when it is deserved.
The point of these sketches is not to completely make fun of a certain individual, it's more to make the nation relax over stressful situations.
Whether you're Democrat or Republican, you have to admit that it's at least a little funny. SNL airs on NBC, which is known to report more left than other stations. Regardless how supportive they are of the Democratic party, they are able to efficiently point out the problems their party is making in congress.
To me, this shows a level of unbias. Sure there's a jab at the Republican Party at the end of the sketch, but as of late, SNL has poked fun at both parties equally. No political figure is off limits, even political figures in Canada get poked fun of. They recently did a sketch poking fun of the Toronto Mayor who was crude to the media and was accused of doing crack.
SNL will always receive criticism for poking fun at political figures, but that's their job. These political figures should know better by now. While NBC might be known for its bias toward the Democratic party, they are fair in poking fun at both parties when it is deserved.
The point of these sketches is not to completely make fun of a certain individual, it's more to make the nation relax over stressful situations.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Single Digit Numbers in Enrollment For Obamacare
http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/11/01/the-truth-comes-out-obamacares-website-enrolled-a-grand-total-of-six-people-on-oct-1/
After reading this article, I couldn't help but laugh a little. More than it was funny that only six people in the entire United States have enrolled, it was a little scary. It's scary to think of the millions of people that either couldn't access the website, didn't know about it at all, or simply don't care.
So what is the biggest problem? Is it a malfunction with the website that can't handle the traffic of the entire country? Is it the lack of education or knowledge on the matter? Is is the fact that some people just don't care? Or could it be that the media hasn't provided us any information?
Not to blame the media for , yet another, problem in the country but it could be a factor in why there's a lack of knowledge on the new healthcare website. Not only is there a lack of knowledge on the actual website, there's a lack of information on what it means for the consumer and how it will affect them versus the insurance they have now.
I think if the media helped break it down a little more and got the word out better, more of the general public would know and/or care about it. I know about it because I care enough to research it, but the media needs to remember that most of the country relies on the media for their information. Not that many people do their own research on a lot of things, especially things like this. The media literally has to walk people through things a lot of times, which is a little sad if you think about it.
After reading this article, I couldn't help but laugh a little. More than it was funny that only six people in the entire United States have enrolled, it was a little scary. It's scary to think of the millions of people that either couldn't access the website, didn't know about it at all, or simply don't care.
So what is the biggest problem? Is it a malfunction with the website that can't handle the traffic of the entire country? Is it the lack of education or knowledge on the matter? Is is the fact that some people just don't care? Or could it be that the media hasn't provided us any information?
Not to blame the media for , yet another, problem in the country but it could be a factor in why there's a lack of knowledge on the new healthcare website. Not only is there a lack of knowledge on the actual website, there's a lack of information on what it means for the consumer and how it will affect them versus the insurance they have now.
I think if the media helped break it down a little more and got the word out better, more of the general public would know and/or care about it. I know about it because I care enough to research it, but the media needs to remember that most of the country relies on the media for their information. Not that many people do their own research on a lot of things, especially things like this. The media literally has to walk people through things a lot of times, which is a little sad if you think about it.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Government Shutdown
This week on Saturday Night Live, the cold open was (hilarious!) sketch poking fun at the government shutdown. There were two astronauts stuck in space trying to call NASA for help, but the only person there was the janitor because the government shutdown. It was a bad pun, but it still made me think.
I've been sitting her shrugging my shoulders and making jokes about the government shutdown for the past two weeks, mainly because I didn't understand it. It didn't directly affect my small world at that exact moment so I didn't care. I made jokes about it on Twitter and Facebook, but I didn't realize how much it was impacting the world until yesterday.
I stopped for gas and the guy at the pump next to me smiled and waved. I smiled and said, "Hi. How are you today?" I was expecting him to give a short answer and that be the end of the conversation; I was not prepared for the answer I received.
"Pretty good, just trying to figure out how to kill time since the government kicked me out of work."
I was floored, I didn't quite know what to say. I tried to be lighthearted about it, and asked him where he worked. He worked at Kennesaw Mountain Park, and the government shutdown meant that the park was closed. He told me how difficult it's been for him because he loves his job and he loved supporting his family. He has two daughters and a grandson, he lives in the Acworth area, and he told me he's just trying to make ends meet with this economy.
Eventually, both our cars were full of gas and we parted ways but I could not stop thinking about that man all day. It broke my heart to think of him without a job and being unable to pay his bills to support his family. Then it hit me. He's not the only one whose job was put on hold for the past two weeks. There are millions of people across the country in the same position that he's in. They're struggling to make ends meet as it is, then the government shuts down and forces them to not come to work. Many of them rely on every dime that comes out of their paycheck, and now they don't have it.
It really opened my eyes to be more aware of the political goings on. Just because I didn't lose my job during this government shutdown doesn't mean it won't affect me. It will affect me. I have a mountain of student loans to pay back. That's not going to go over nicely with a government that is trillions of dollars in debt. This is affecting me and I've got to open my eyes. Not just me, we all do. We're the future of this economy and if we're ignoring all the signs now, how will we make it better in the future?
I've been sitting her shrugging my shoulders and making jokes about the government shutdown for the past two weeks, mainly because I didn't understand it. It didn't directly affect my small world at that exact moment so I didn't care. I made jokes about it on Twitter and Facebook, but I didn't realize how much it was impacting the world until yesterday.
I stopped for gas and the guy at the pump next to me smiled and waved. I smiled and said, "Hi. How are you today?" I was expecting him to give a short answer and that be the end of the conversation; I was not prepared for the answer I received.
"Pretty good, just trying to figure out how to kill time since the government kicked me out of work."
I was floored, I didn't quite know what to say. I tried to be lighthearted about it, and asked him where he worked. He worked at Kennesaw Mountain Park, and the government shutdown meant that the park was closed. He told me how difficult it's been for him because he loves his job and he loved supporting his family. He has two daughters and a grandson, he lives in the Acworth area, and he told me he's just trying to make ends meet with this economy.
Eventually, both our cars were full of gas and we parted ways but I could not stop thinking about that man all day. It broke my heart to think of him without a job and being unable to pay his bills to support his family. Then it hit me. He's not the only one whose job was put on hold for the past two weeks. There are millions of people across the country in the same position that he's in. They're struggling to make ends meet as it is, then the government shuts down and forces them to not come to work. Many of them rely on every dime that comes out of their paycheck, and now they don't have it.
It really opened my eyes to be more aware of the political goings on. Just because I didn't lose my job during this government shutdown doesn't mean it won't affect me. It will affect me. I have a mountain of student loans to pay back. That's not going to go over nicely with a government that is trillions of dollars in debt. This is affecting me and I've got to open my eyes. Not just me, we all do. We're the future of this economy and if we're ignoring all the signs now, how will we make it better in the future?
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Waiting On The World To Change
Last night I went to the John Mayer concert in Atlanta. The guy in front of me recorded every single song on his iPhone. I'm all about taking pictures and videos to remember a special event in your life, but this guy didn't put his phone down the entire concert. During an intense moment in the concert, I looked around me and noticed that he was not the only person doing that. There were people all around me using their phones or cameras to record every moment.
For me, this was disheartening. We've become so reliant on using our technologies and social media that we've zoned out the world around us. We miss out on amazing experiences because we simply can't put the phone down. We're videoing or tweeting the entire time during a game or concert, and we miss the true experience of it all. We miss out on the artist on stage trying to connect with us through their music. We miss out on the major touchdown because we are trying to tweet about the last play.
I know this isn't necessarily about politics, but it is about media. I guess on one hand, maybe this is what our culture has become. Maybe the "experience" now includes these moments with technologies. Personally, I like to put the phone away and focus on the real-life happenings. I was able to have the experience the artist wanted me to, not distracted trying to pick a filter to accentuate my concert photo.
Just some thoughts I had.
For me, this was disheartening. We've become so reliant on using our technologies and social media that we've zoned out the world around us. We miss out on amazing experiences because we simply can't put the phone down. We're videoing or tweeting the entire time during a game or concert, and we miss the true experience of it all. We miss out on the artist on stage trying to connect with us through their music. We miss out on the major touchdown because we are trying to tweet about the last play.
I know this isn't necessarily about politics, but it is about media. I guess on one hand, maybe this is what our culture has become. Maybe the "experience" now includes these moments with technologies. Personally, I like to put the phone away and focus on the real-life happenings. I was able to have the experience the artist wanted me to, not distracted trying to pick a filter to accentuate my concert photo.
Just some thoughts I had.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
What is "all natural" anyway?
The popular drink Naked Juice settled a lawsuit for $9 million dollars, and is being forced to remove the words "all natural" from their labels. A group of consumers claimed that the drink could not claim to be "all natural" because it contained alternative sweeteners and soluble corn fibers. The company is agreeing to remove the wording from the labels, but they argue that the words "all natural" needs to be more defined.
I would have to agree with the company. Sure, there drinks have chemicals in them to make them taste better. All drinks (even bottled water!) do for the most part. I think the recent climb in gluten free and organic products has made this an actual issue. Does anyone care that the drinks claim to be "all natural"? Do we actually believe that?
I don't. Unless I handpicked the fruit from the tree myself, or dug the vegetable out of the ground, I'm just going to go ahead and assume that the product is not "all natural." The media plays a huge part in this loose wording, especially in advertising.
Watch any commercial for, pretty much, any product and they will claim certain things that offer health benefits to get a leg up on the competition. I bought ranch dressing recently, and the label said "30% less fat!" First of all, I don't care if there's 30% less fat. It's ranch dressing, it's not good for you anyway. Second, I don't really take those labels to be fact. They are an advertising tool to draw in the consumer. Were there other bottle of ranch dressing on the shelf that I could've bought? Sure. But I picked up that one because it had a shiny sticker on it that offered me more for my money. To be honest, I didn't even read the sticker until I got home.
These claims of "truly organic" and "gluten free" and "all natural" are just terms invented by the food industry to get the consumer's attention. Do I believe that there are actual truly organic, gluten free, all natural foods out there? Absolutely. But do I think that every label at the store is 100% fact? No.
Naked Juice was right; there needs to be a more defined term of what "all natural" is before they can force companies to stop claiming that there product is just that. The FDA or someone needs to put restrictions on the definition before they can start, ethically, putting restrictions on companies.
I would have to agree with the company. Sure, there drinks have chemicals in them to make them taste better. All drinks (even bottled water!) do for the most part. I think the recent climb in gluten free and organic products has made this an actual issue. Does anyone care that the drinks claim to be "all natural"? Do we actually believe that?
I don't. Unless I handpicked the fruit from the tree myself, or dug the vegetable out of the ground, I'm just going to go ahead and assume that the product is not "all natural." The media plays a huge part in this loose wording, especially in advertising.
Watch any commercial for, pretty much, any product and they will claim certain things that offer health benefits to get a leg up on the competition. I bought ranch dressing recently, and the label said "30% less fat!" First of all, I don't care if there's 30% less fat. It's ranch dressing, it's not good for you anyway. Second, I don't really take those labels to be fact. They are an advertising tool to draw in the consumer. Were there other bottle of ranch dressing on the shelf that I could've bought? Sure. But I picked up that one because it had a shiny sticker on it that offered me more for my money. To be honest, I didn't even read the sticker until I got home.
These claims of "truly organic" and "gluten free" and "all natural" are just terms invented by the food industry to get the consumer's attention. Do I believe that there are actual truly organic, gluten free, all natural foods out there? Absolutely. But do I think that every label at the store is 100% fact? No.
Naked Juice was right; there needs to be a more defined term of what "all natural" is before they can force companies to stop claiming that there product is just that. The FDA or someone needs to put restrictions on the definition before they can start, ethically, putting restrictions on companies.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Navy Yard Shooting - Thoughts
My heart is heavy writing this. As I sit here watching the news, and reading the Twitter feeds, it breaks my heart to see our nation struggling through this yet again. It feels like just yesterday I was watching news break on the Boston Bombings or Sandy Hook shooting or Aurora shooting, etc. Although it's still to be determined the details of this shooting or the suspect, I've found that the issue of mental health vs. gun control has come back up. Here's where I stand on that:
I think mental health needs to be more addressed in this country. Nowadays, people are afraid to admit that they need help, or that a loved one might need help, because they're afraid of judgement. They deny it, hide it under the rug, and ignore it until it becomes a major problem or it's too late. On the flip side, society puts such a harsh view on mental health. People have such a negative view that it's only feuling the desire to hide these mental health issues. I think until it becomes more recognizable and more acceptable in our society, the problem won't go away. I also think that it will never become more acceptable until society truly understands what mental health is.
Most people, when they hear the words "mental health issues" automatically picture a guy in a white-walled room in a straight jacket pulling out his hair and teeth. Mental health issues have been something so taboo in society that no one truly knows what they are. I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure I know what they are or what they mean. I know that they need to be addressed, they need focus and attention, immediately.
I don't know much about the suspect from this Navy Yard shooting, I know the details are still being ironed out as of now. I don't know if this is an issue of mental health or not, but I do know that people are already pointing it in that direction. This issue needs to be discussed. And it needs to be discussed sooner rather than later.
I think mental health needs to be more addressed in this country. Nowadays, people are afraid to admit that they need help, or that a loved one might need help, because they're afraid of judgement. They deny it, hide it under the rug, and ignore it until it becomes a major problem or it's too late. On the flip side, society puts such a harsh view on mental health. People have such a negative view that it's only feuling the desire to hide these mental health issues. I think until it becomes more recognizable and more acceptable in our society, the problem won't go away. I also think that it will never become more acceptable until society truly understands what mental health is.
Most people, when they hear the words "mental health issues" automatically picture a guy in a white-walled room in a straight jacket pulling out his hair and teeth. Mental health issues have been something so taboo in society that no one truly knows what they are. I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure I know what they are or what they mean. I know that they need to be addressed, they need focus and attention, immediately.
I don't know much about the suspect from this Navy Yard shooting, I know the details are still being ironed out as of now. I don't know if this is an issue of mental health or not, but I do know that people are already pointing it in that direction. This issue needs to be discussed. And it needs to be discussed sooner rather than later.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Here's Why I Love The Onion
Sarcasm is my love language. This is one of the reasons why sarcastic and satire websites like The Onion capture my attention. After the VMA's on Aug. 25th, the managing editor of CNN, Meredith Artley took to The Onion to defend why CNN's front page story that morning was about a "twerking teenager" and not something about those dying in Syria or the conflict in Egypt.
She took to The Onion and stated blankly, "I want our readers to know this: All you are to us is eyeballs." She's right. Websites thrive off of page views, the higher the page view the more advertisers come flocking to them with their checkbooks out. It's what she likes to call "modern day journalism."
Unfortunately, CNN is not the only news website that functions this way. If the readers, or "eyeballs" as she calls them, keep clicking on pictures of "Miley's crazy performance" then more and more websites are going to post stories about it. Thanks to Twitter, we can see instant trends in communication. If more people are communicating about the craziness at the VMA's, then more articles about it will be published. Unfortunately this leaves real news to be stuck on another page somewhere that no one will read.
It's not always the news websites that are to blame for the lack of vital information that is getting to the public. Most of the time it's the public. After all, the media is a for profit business and they won't benefit financially from posting articles about things that no one is reading about. Low readership means less advertisers, less advertisers means less money. The mass media business is all about returning a profit, which unfortunately leaves the public unaware of certain important events.
I, for one, know little to nothing about what's going on in Syria or Egypt or what our role is in the middle of it all. If I wanted to know more, I'd dig a little bit. But the point is, sometimes, I prefer the media to keep feeding me nonsense articles about celebrities because it takes my mind off of the fact that we are a country and a world at unrest. Everything is not okay nor will it be any time soon. The more I dig, the more scared I get. I'm not saying I don't want to be informed, I just find myself panicking when I am sometimes.
So thank you, Meredith Artley, for publishing the content I wanted to see Monday morning. And for being willing to admit that the underlying point to mass media is not to inform the audience, it's to return a profit. The original intent of the media was to create a platform for politics, but it is far from that now.
Here's the link to The Onion article:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/let-me-explain-why-miley-cyrus-vma-performance-was,33632/?ref=auto
She took to The Onion and stated blankly, "I want our readers to know this: All you are to us is eyeballs." She's right. Websites thrive off of page views, the higher the page view the more advertisers come flocking to them with their checkbooks out. It's what she likes to call "modern day journalism."
Unfortunately, CNN is not the only news website that functions this way. If the readers, or "eyeballs" as she calls them, keep clicking on pictures of "Miley's crazy performance" then more and more websites are going to post stories about it. Thanks to Twitter, we can see instant trends in communication. If more people are communicating about the craziness at the VMA's, then more articles about it will be published. Unfortunately this leaves real news to be stuck on another page somewhere that no one will read.
It's not always the news websites that are to blame for the lack of vital information that is getting to the public. Most of the time it's the public. After all, the media is a for profit business and they won't benefit financially from posting articles about things that no one is reading about. Low readership means less advertisers, less advertisers means less money. The mass media business is all about returning a profit, which unfortunately leaves the public unaware of certain important events.
I, for one, know little to nothing about what's going on in Syria or Egypt or what our role is in the middle of it all. If I wanted to know more, I'd dig a little bit. But the point is, sometimes, I prefer the media to keep feeding me nonsense articles about celebrities because it takes my mind off of the fact that we are a country and a world at unrest. Everything is not okay nor will it be any time soon. The more I dig, the more scared I get. I'm not saying I don't want to be informed, I just find myself panicking when I am sometimes.
So thank you, Meredith Artley, for publishing the content I wanted to see Monday morning. And for being willing to admit that the underlying point to mass media is not to inform the audience, it's to return a profit. The original intent of the media was to create a platform for politics, but it is far from that now.
Here's the link to The Onion article:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/let-me-explain-why-miley-cyrus-vma-performance-was,33632/?ref=auto
Friday, August 16, 2013
First Day of Class
Today is the first day of classes at Kennesaw. It's my last first day of school, graduation in December actually has me excited about starting back classes! Most of my classes thus far have all been in the COM field. Although this class discusses mass media, I'm a little nervous because it's not strictly communication based like many of my other classes have been. I'm excited to get started!
-Eva Hope
-Eva Hope
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