So, you don't like the media? Do you think that they are a bunch of sensationalistic moonbats that don't have any "real news", just a bunch of meaningless crap about Michael Jackson's funeral, car chases and the newest reason that everyone is going to die from cancer? Do you wonder why it is national news when there is a house fire in Cleveland or Dallas or Jersey City?
I'll tell you why it is on...
Because you WATCH IT!
That is why they show these stories... they get viewers. I do... I think it is dumb when there is a story about a car wreck snarling traffic in Denver... but I'm right there watching it. I'm tuned in while the live truck is sitting outside a police station in suburban Detroit... 5 hours after the news conference... about somebody shooting somebody else, even though the story is really only important to a few dozen people... and only marginally important to the people in that general area.
It is bad enough on the local newsfront. Atlanta is a pretty big place... from the east to the west suburbs, or from the north to south, it came be well over a two hour drive and still considered "Atlanta" (truth be told, the City of Atlanta only has about 1/8th of the population of the Atlanta Metro). But on the news, one would think that a house fire in east Atlanta and a convenience store stabbing on the west end are items that are important to everyone in the area... Heck, covering actual traffic issues would be time better spent for the VAST majority of news watchers... a traffic jam on I-85 might affect 500,000 people while a house fire might affect 50 of the victims family, friends and neighbors.
But we have been conditioned to want video from the scene... Traffic video is boring (unless there is a car fire or emergency crews using the Jaws of Life or something). We want all four networks to have helicopters hovering over the scene giving us pictures...
Here is a radical thought...
The federal government is looking at Cap & Trade legislation that WILL affect EVERY household and every municipality in the country. Not that long ago there was a Stimulus package passed that touched hundreds of millions of Americans (for good or bad). The federal government is looking at "reforming" health care. State governments are facing budget shortfalls and changing allocation of funds, closing or cutting back services to cope with their budget problems. Local cities and counties are facing falling property tax revenues and associated budget problems. New businesses are opening up, new discoveries are being made and local folks are stepping up to try to help those around them in need.
Why not cover those things? Why not do in depth reporting of how federal or state governments are affecting the lives of the majority of area residents? Why not look at local policy changes and why they are working or not working? Why not examine how local businesses are being affected by what is happening in the larger world?
The stations are required to produce local content for their licenses... and one local station has a habit of pre-empting actual entertaining programming so that one of their anchors can interview celebrities that have some tenuous local connection... and she tosses softballs that make Larry King look tough. How about unleashing a bunch of those consumer reporters that stick their cameras in the faces of the con artists and scammers onto the con artists and scammers in the local, state and federal governments? Why not let them ask some tough, politically incorrect questions?
I know that the media thinks we just want fires and shootings...
But maybe it is time for someone to be bold... and skip over Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith and the next celebrity to destroy themself... and to cover REAL NEWS that affects everyone. Don't leave it to the Wall Street Journal to be the only hard news source.
Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey.
I'd love to hear from you...
