What is wrong with our media?

Answer 1

It's mostly trash aimed at amusing people with the intellectual level of an 8th grader. Not only that, it has gone beyond representing itself as just mindless entertainment. Now it tries to function as the political and moral conscience of our nation.

Answer 2

Bad news sells. Buyers create the market. Most humans would rather hear about a plane crash than about a stewardess that brought an extra pillow to a passenger. Next time you drive past an accident, see if you can watch the traffic in front of you without at least glancing at the scene. If the media can't find bad news, they will put a spin on good news to lessen the credibility of the source or to imply that it was a fluke or done with ulterior motives. It doesn't matter if it is obviously left or right winged news source either. If it is broadcast as fact, it should be suspect. Franken is just as whacko as Limbaugh.

Answer 3

The media is biased as they are made up of people who have their own biases. Many organisations have their own political agendas and affiliations. They also want to sell their products. And they also know that many of their clients are voyeuristic and always looking for the flavour of the day.

Making the president look bad (though that may still be true) sells. It's entertaining to read about a leader of a country that can't say 'nuclear' but instead says 'nukuler' or that there may be fishy stories about his armed services records.

So the media, instead of staying true to their principles of educating, uplifting and enlightening, have now stooped to what the debased society wants, and has, in fact, converted many regular, on the fence people, into those who are searching for the next sensational tidbit.

Simple people, simple pleasures.

But there are still a few mags and newspapers who do good work. Search for them.

Answer 4

I believe that for the most part "it" is driven by Liberals. I don't think in a vacuum so not all news "shows" are guilty of that. The problem these days that there is so much competion for delivering the news that the network news honchos will focus on what sells before they follow their obligation to the public. It is despicable any more, it's permeated the local news broadcasts in every city that I have been to. I miss the straight-forward newscasts of Walter Cronkite and David Brinkley during the 60's. Now it's all smoke and mirrors.

Answer 5

Too many of us believe their version of the 'truth'. "Our media" is a business. The people who run it are doing it to profit. It's our responsibility as consumers to educate ourselves and limit the time we expose ourselves and our children to them. "Our media" can be beneficial, like when there are warning about extreme weather, or if there is a recall on a certain product. Advertisers are the ones who really mess with our minds, they will create a need for a product when there is no need. Advertisers should not be allowed to advertise towards children who's minds are more susceptible to their suggestions, images, and views. There is nothing "wrong with our media", but there is something wrong with the way it is used.

Answer 6

All US media are owned by corporations, all of whom have a vested interest in not reporting facts contrary to their ambitions. After NBC was bought by General Electic, reports of anything negative involving GE products ceased to be reported on NBC "news".

The most blatant examples are FOX which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, and Clear Channel Communications, owned by a fundamentalist christian group. (Remember the Dixie Chicks "controversy"?) Objective reporting is anathema to their ambitions, and because vitriolic lies sell better than the facts, all the other US media have given up any pretense of objectivity and fact checking.

There's also the matter of government manipulation. Unlike Canada's CBC and England's BBC which are completely independent of any government control, PBS in the US is directly answerable to the US regime. Decision makers at PBS have been replaced with political lackeys who do the Republican party's bidding. Two cases in point:
- Wall Street Week, once an objective data and numbers news program, was replaced with similarly named "panel" program filled with extreme rightwing opinionists.
- A stooge of the US mis-administration was appointed to "monitor" PBS programs for any "offensive" (read: critical of Bush, tolerant of non-WASPs and non-straights). That included the banning of a CHILDREN's program that depicted a two-mom household, and even right-wing views on PBS were criticized by this "monitor" for pointing out mistakes of the government.

Answer 7

The mainstream media has been bought and sold to the highest bidder: the big corporations, the military/industrial complex and the government. Mainstream media is so spun it makes you dizzy just watching it. Which is why I DON'T. You really want to know waht's going on? Check out:
www.infowars.com

Answer 8

Same thing that is wrong with our overall culture .... need for instant gratification; self delusion; and lack of respect. Bottom line is the majority rules.....we've become bottom feeders wanting to hear only the worst .... and so the media continues to deliver.

Answer 9

Nothing, it's always been gossips and the information what you want to hear, or even better the advertising on something just to suck people in. After I read a newspaper I feel sick so I swich to books, at least there you can chose what do you want to read a novel or something else.

Answer 10

They focus on the negative, barley noticing the positive except when it is a major thing.