Bloggers and the News Media

I'm sure you've checked the national headlines for the past few days. It's tough to miss them. No matter where you go they pop out at you. You sign onto the internet and there they are, you grab your daily cup of coffee and they stare while you make your purchase, and whenever you talk to someone they always come up in conversation. For instance, have you heard about the Amanda Knox story? I'm sure you have. How about the missing baby from Missouri (Lisa Irwin)? Again, I'm sure you have at least heard something about it. But, have you ever sat back and thought about the stories the news media wants you to hear, see, and read? Most of it is trivial when related to our everyday lives.

I'm sure any sane person doesn't think I don't care that there is a missing baby who has yet to be found. I am as compassionate as any other, but to hear the story day in and day out is almost unethical. First of all, the publicity that shines on this investigation can be detrimental to ongoing police action. The last thing any law enforcement agent needs is to be followed everywhere they go by their personal paparazzi.

News outlets are spewing news that simply does not matter, and it is taking our attention away from more pressing issues. In today's top national news CNN and MSNBC both took the time and effort to report on a man that dresses up in a super hero costume and was arrested for assault. Fox decided that it was important enough to include "Moose takes a dip in family pool" in their daily top national news. Both CBS and ABC reported on the new Dr. Pepper commercials that try to convince men to buy diet soda. CBS also took the time to publish a report on the woman who gave birth after finishing the Chicago Marathon. Putting aside the fact that the woman put her child at risk, the story is just not important enough to be considered news.

It is true that these stories are intertwined with stories that do have some real significance. The political field is being covered, the financial institutions are being covered, and the protests that seem to be popping up everywhere gain quite about of attention. However, these stories are still not good enough. Lou Dobbs, a figure that I'm still not 100% sure of, wrote about the idea that news agencies have a tendency to regurgitate, verbatim, what politicians, economists, and business leaders have already said. They put a little fluff in there and call it a news story. There is no evaluation or analysis added in which makes its more of a press release.

This is where bloggers come in. They have the ability to make a stronger news media. There are millions of fact checkers and writers who are more than willing to do what the media won't do. They take the facts and analyze them so that they are not merely words. An actual conversation is created that allows anyone with an internet connection to speak out for what they believe. Blogs put a human voice on the news that CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and ABC simply can't do. These news agencies supply the blogs with facts, but the everyday people writing their opinions are doing the hard work. In the long run these "laymen" could restore some sanity into daily news and save the institution intself.