Summary
This piece by James Fallows is about the corruption of today’s media. He discusses that the media never tells the people real issues of the world and just things they think people want to hear. He gives many examples of the media in action and the ridiculous things they talk about by putting conversations had by the media and journalists live on the air. He illustrates that the media embellish everything they report so it sounds better. He also discusses how important it is to have a good appearance when you are in broadcast journalism because no body wants to see an unattractive reporter. Our nation has become more focused on image then the actual news, which was most likely brought on by the media, and they do not do anything to help fix this problem. They only make it worse by hiring ‘beautiful people’ to go on television. He then goes on to explain that the media has lost it’s credibility and are creating problems for democracy.
Reflection
I found this piece quite dull. He gives statistics and facts but almost nothing else. Fallows is hinting his opinion by giving the reader a variety of examples of the media. He showcases news anchors that discuss issues no body but the people on the show care about. A prime example is when anchorman Charles Ogletree interviews journalists Fredrick Downs, Peter Jennings, Mike Wallace, and William Westmooreland about what their actions would be in a hypothetical example. Their answers were not only useless information, but just the idea that these questions were even asked on national television was absolutely inappropriate and unethical. The ridiculous questions put the journalists in an uncomfortable position on live television. Ogletree fired many, “What would you do if…” and “What do you think would happen if…” questions which had no relevance to anything. Also, the inquiries put the journalists were not directly placed in such a situation, which would make the questions even more difficult to dignify with an answer. Fallows then goes on to explain that the media is not doing it’s job of representing the people, and by the previous events discussed, his statements prove true. If the media would properly represent the population and not fill their heads with garbage, people could form their own opinions about important issues that concern more then 2% of the population.
The Term Paper on Fair Trial Media People Television
Television is a vital source from which most Americans receive information. News and media delegates on television have abused theirs powers over society through the airing of appealing news shows that misinform the public. Through literary research and experimentation, it has been proven that people's perception of reality has been altered by the information they receive from such programs. ...
Connection
From Fallows statements, it seems that people are paying too much attention to the media and not thinking for themselves. The media angers Americans by the things they broadcast on the air because they put things on the air that has no relevance to anything and people just walk around thinking what they’re hearing is true, but that may be just the opposite. The media exaggerates to make themselves and the country as a whole look better. People may watch television programs such as Extra and A Current Affair which show pieces from fashion shows, the music world, and beauty, but what these shows do not do is broadcast real world issues. These shows were specially created for this purpose and many people watch them and not the real news. Part of the reason is because the media tells us things they think we want to hear, however, most people couldn’t care less. For reasons listed above may be why everyone is starting to hate the media.
