The nature of the issue is modern global communication itself. When we think of how news itself is produced, what exactly makes something news? Well, usually we receive most of our "news" from major conglomerates whose aim is to bring us real news fast, but yet even as I type this I can't even begin to believe that premise entirely. Private business's goal is to make a profit whether we're discussing the local Mom and Pop store or your favorite newspaper. The Mom and Pop store simply sells its goods, but your favorite newspaper does not necessary have anything to sell except its news. This is when there emerges a market for news where every news outlet boasts about how their particular take on the story is the most exclusive and the truest to the actual events. All of these types of stories are what enable the news to sell as stories are sensationalized to bring a bit of excitement to the actual events. Taylor discusses the issue of covering things that are not exactly actual events but more so things that ultimately attribute to actual foreign policy decisions. Often it makes more sense for news corporations to send their teams to cover stories they know will ensure continued readership of their publication versus covering stories that may not garner a huge audience. Class thus far has allowed me to think about aspects of the media information process that I would not have normally thought of such as this, the struggle between profit and broadcasting real news.
Questions of the Week
- How does this neglect of possibly important information affect the audience of the publication?
- Is it possible to not have to neglect news in exchange for profit?
In some ways, this continues a cycle of ignorance among devoted readers as they may be completely devoid from knowing about very important diplomatic issues, but this is also assuming that one publication is their only source of information. I personally do not think it is fair to place the entire blame on independent media to educate the vast general public. This responsibility is up to the individual as I would hope that they do not seek one source for all of their infinite knowledge. The problem does occur when the same story is headline news for every new outlet and thus their competition for readership of a particular story overshadows the need for coverage of possibly more important stories. Another issue comes when the "news" has the only access to certain pieces of information, which often happens, and leaves the public in the dark for far more sensational leads. This, in my opinion, is unfair to the general public as most will never have the opportunity to know.
