Why The News Media Sucks

"Wait. I've got it! We'll go to trial!"
" And…?"
"And the ensuing media circus will harken the decline of society! This place will be a barren wasteland in fifty years and then we can make good our escape!"

Such are the plans of webcomic 1 8-bit Theatre character 'Red Mage' to get himself and his fellow light warriors out of wrongful imprisonment.2 However his unknowingly satirical comments reflect today's society quite aptly. Everywhere you look, the media has it's vulture-like talons hooked in, corrupting the minds of many.

Instantly I point out the irony, that this is a form of media, designed to sway your opinion on the subject matter to, or at least closely resemble my own. The difference is that, in this case, I ask you to come to your own conclusion, weighing up both sides of the argument before judging either view.

In my bluntest terms, I have to say that my opinion of the news media is abysmal. It twists and distorts what people say for their own needs, it thrives on others misery, because that is the only way it can survive.

Which segues nicely to my first point. The mental make up of the average human, if we are to go by the news media's standards would make it appear that we cannot be happy unless someone else is suffering. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we don't need to know about foreign wars and whether x murderer and y serial rapist has been caught (That's another point entirely). It seems to me however that the news likes to, and frequently has been making mountains out of molehills for so long that it's just become second nature. For example, the household name news item that was the McCann story. Again, don't misunderstand. It's a terrible thing what's happened. But people, including children, are getting kidnapped every day. How many of them get press coverage?
Then we got the new story (well, not new any more, but bare with me) that the Portuguese police are accusing the girl's own mother of killing the child. Well, to use a common phrase, the press had a field day. Let's ignore the possibility that the police may have made this up in order to solve problems or tourism and the vast amount of funding going into a thus far fruitless case. (Wouldn't be politically practical after all). No, let us all sway the public into hating the McCanns. But wait, there is evidence to suggest their innocent!? Oh, you bad bad Portuguese police. Feel the cold white fury of the british tabloids! But no, the police have had progress with the case! It must've been the mother! Oh wait, a 'millionaire businessman' is funding the McCanns! They must be good. Not much story though. Lets Copy/Paste one of our old articles, and stick this new stuff at the top. Jenkins! Get to work on some nonsensical graphs! Let's forget that a girl has disappeared.
So you see, the story went from the initial 'little girl lost' to the eventual nonsense. Madeline has been forgotten effectively, existing now only as a lead up to another article "Mother's DNA Found In Own House". Oh my gidget, the woman's a monster.

Right next topic (And I'll try not to go so overboard). The infamous war on terror. This part I find deliciously ironic. You all know what the WoT is all abut so I'll just keep this one brief. Firstly, what is the point of terrorism. Not, as many think, to kill, maim, or otherwise injure. It is to cause and spread terror. Clue's in the name. So, what, may I ask, has the hype and overacting news coverage done? Why, spread terror of course. People are terrified of anything outside their own back garden. You want a good place to strt your war on terror, Mr Bush? Try CNN, ABC, hell, let's throw in the BBC, and basically all news coverage.

If you hadn't noticed, I just pointed out the flaw in my entire argument. We will never be without news coverage. People need to know about the lies of others and their daily happenings. Every detail of celebrities, love, life and laughter, must be divulged. They're well known after all! It's our right to know what t-shirts Major Tom wears, who's shagging who, what celebrity has been caught in whatever scandal that, thanks to news coverage, will never be forgotten. That person's life has been ruined, but do the papers care? Hell no. Do the new stations empathise? Don't be foolish.

As I said, It's up to you to make your own decision about whether it is the news crews or I who is the greater fool. Just don't judge blindly. Look into the other facts. Take note that there are probably parts of this that make no sense at all and would not stand up in real debate3. At the end of the day the message I'm trying to get across is who is more foolish? The fool, or the fool that follows him?4

In any case, the band of light warriors exploded their way out of prison, so all is well there.
EDIT: After more procrastinating, I found this other relevant comic. So, it turns out procrastination is a good thing. I think I'll do some more.








1 A comic published on the Internet. Not exactly rocket science to work out, but you'd be surprised how many people ask
2 tinyurl.com/yvahgj
3 Not really, seeing as I wrote it, but then the crazy don't know they're crazy
4 For the amusement of Tio