Media—Frenzy and Fallacy
Media is important. It may
sometimes be biased but it is not fake, and it is a beacon that throws light onto
the corrupt political systems. It shines a light on the frustrations and
misfortunes of our society. But it often overlooks our blessings, our
aspirations, and our strengths. In the present time, when the news stations
have become twenty-four-hour loudspeakers of doom and gloom, their adverse
effects on our lives are evident. These loudspeakers in our living rooms often
induce frustrations, hopelessness, stress and even depression.
A friend of mine said that you
just have to turn the television off and all is quiet. I guess that’s true, but
it seems that media is as addictive to many people as nicotine, caffeine and Facebook,
and to turn the switch off is not so easy, particularly when our anxieties are
at a peak because of lock-downs, racial discrimination and social injustice.
Even during times when life has
fewer waves, media hinders our inward focus and draws us out to look at the
problems in the country and around the world. Do we need to know about these
problems? Sure. Do we need to be reminded about them every hour? No.
So, what is the solution? What if
we combine MSNBC or CNN with the History Channel, the Science Channel, and
Animal World? You might laugh at me but think about it for a moment. We need to
know about life and our place on this planet as a human species as much as we
need to know about our political system. Maybe more so, as life and history
have many more lessons to offer than politics, at least now-a-days.
I would like to see media
shifting its focus from all-politics to all-society, because politics is just
one step to shape society for the good of the people but is not the only game
available in our lives. Instead of spurts of news about education and a few disparate
discussions, why not have an ongoing dialogue to raise its standards? Instead
of just talking about poverty and racial discrimination, how about a panel that
constantly investigatestheir implications, effects and solutions? We have seen
American Idol for many seasons, how about one season of this panel? (Nothing
against American idol though. I guess It can be telecasted in-between the
discussion about education and panel investigating poverty). But I am naïve to
think that this would ever happen because all the channels are under the spell
of ratings and profit. I guess it can happen only in an environment in which a government
channel operates as an underpinning for a welfare state.
A channel that is not worried about ratings but quality and dialogue among
people who are bringing different perspectives to the table. A diversity in
views.
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