This is not meant to belittle Gabrielle Giffords or Lara Logan. Not at all. It’s meant to show that our media is fucked in how it presents violence to the public. Every murder and every rape should be front page news. No doubt. But while the Today Show, and others, decide to devote hours upon hours of airtime to inane crap, people die and women are raped. Every. Single. Day. Hell, not even local news station can manage to find time to devote a segment to a rape victim if there’s an acrobatic kitten involved.*
Last month there was a tragic shooting in Arizona. A maniac killed six people and wounded even more. A congresswoman was shot, so it’s been on the front page of many newspapers. It’s been a mainstay of cable news for the last month or so. Fair enough; something like that should be news. Our legislative branch went batshit and started contemplating (seriously, this time) mental health and gun control legislation. Maybe because one of their own was involved? The whole, this could have happened to me! thang goin on, ya dig?
Last week there was another tragedy. A news reporter was sexually assaulted while covering the protests in Egypt. This is awful, don’t get me wrong. The last few days it’s been another cable news staple. Again, fair enough. This should be news. But it’s only news because Mika Brzeznki was horrified**. How often, in the course of her career, do you think Mika Brzezinski has reported on a tragedy? Without emotion. But what do we have? This could have happened to me! thang goin on, ya dig?
Light should be shed on such horrific events in an attempt to make sure they don’t happen again. But our media only bolts into action when it appears as if we can bleed that shit dry, right? I aim to watch at least ten minutes of the morning news shows every day, and one thing is sure: they all cover the same “headline” stories, and they all are filling the f*** outta some time.
As of January 8, 2011 - the day six people were murdered in Arizona - there had been eight murders in Prince George’s County, MD. One a day. I didn’t see this on the cable news networks, and it makes me wonder how many other counties have similar murder rates. And how many murders fly under the national radar? I can only imagine.
Our national media is just…awful. Is that the best word? Awful? I used to desprise the phrase if it bleeds, It leads. I used to think it was a scummy way to run the news business. But now I’m thinking maybe, once a week, all news shows should be forced to focus on the most horrific acts of violence perpetrated throughout the country. Just to remind people.
Just to remind people that more than six people in this country have been murdered. Just to remind people that more than one woman has been raped.
—————-
* I’m not saying to not air the acrobatic kitten segment - damn that’s cute! But maybe cut out the weather. Who gets the weather forecast from the news, anyway?
** This woman is always so cold when reporting on tragedies. Today on MSNBC’s Morning Joe she was uncharacteristically emotional. Using her as an example.
1 comment:
Right, now, what was it that I meant to say the first time I meant to respond? I think it was something like: "Yes, exactly. I think it's probably only human nature to feel true fear when our own safety or livelihood or comfort is directly threatened, but I think what makes us human (or should, anyway) is the fear and sadness we feel when others are threatened in a way we wouldn't want even to imagine. Without that, we're solipsistic and cruel, if even of guilt-by-apathy."
Post a Comment