Our society has a massive appetite for drama, and little for reality. We read about Britney Spears when we need to read about Afghanistan. And the media, which has the mandate -- and the constitutional right -- to lead us from this abyss, are all too often not doing so. Media, which once led public opinion, now all too often follow it.
A startling, and true, commentary on media today stated by Bill Dwyre from the LA Times, describes what is becoming an all too familiar trend.
Going against Walter Lippman's Public Opinion, which claimed public opinion must be guided, and John Dewey's belief that mass communication should educate the public so that, as a community and as individuals, people can form their own opinions, Dwyre's view of media today claims that it neither serves as an educational tool nor a guide for public opinion. The media follows what the already-formed public opinion demands.
It's true. The balance between entertainment and traditional hard news is faltering. As the television stations, like CNN and Fox, have experts discussing the failing US economy, this critical information is interrupted by the breaking news that Patriot Quarterback Tom Brady has been seen with his foot in a cast. Suddenly everybody's asking, "what could this mean for the Superbowl?"
Shouldn't we be much much more concerned about how quickly the Dow is falling? Should we expect and demand the media give us the tools to make an informed decision about how to survive a possible recession instead of how to place our Superbowl bets?
I definitely think so. Give me reality over drama, please.
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