I particularily enjoyed the Russ Kick article in this week’s readings. The quote that really stuck me was near the end and reads, “Lesson: If you want to get accurate news in the United States, you might want to learn a language other than English. “
Here is an extrapolation on that thought. My personal experiences with the media have left me feeling uneasy about the reliability of news coverage. During the few interviews I have had for localy interesting newspaper articles, it had initally appeared that the reporter and I were both speaking English. Communication seemed to be happening two ways, and appropriate notes on what I felt were key points taken. Enevitably when the stories come out, I realize that I either don’t communicate very effictively and/or about 30% of the words I use don’t mean what I think they mean.
I wish I had some concrete personal examples, but I have been so disappointed to date with these articles that I have not kept a single one. What I mostly remember from each experience was being consistently misquoted and important details omitted or misunderstood. Most readers would not notice the difference. Those close to the situation being reported however are often dishartened by the incongruities.
My Dad has a nice example of this. He was being interviewed as a Rancher during the terrible drought a few years ago. The article per his knowledge was to deal with how certain ranchers in the Cardston area were being stiffed on crop insurance claims based on data collected in another region 45 miles away. This was an injustice. Individual cases should be based on the rainfall and conditions of the land in question. My Father thought he eloquently explained the situation and its news worthiness. What was actually reported inculded very little of the interview and none of the specific details. All the public got was pictures of a ranch undergoing drought. The weather was the subject. The sad thing was that anyone could have just looked out the window and come to the same conclusion as what was reported. Extreme weather events sell. The plight of the little guy most offten does not unless it is extreme or bizzare.
Whether it is shoddy journalism such as I have experienced, or a more sinister political agenda like those exposed in the readings, it is important to realize that one should not always blindly accept what is reported. (Except for this blog as every fact here has been scrupulous cross-checked against my version of reality.) The Huntly quote at the start of chapter gave me a good chuckle. “… news is what I decide is news.” Taking that completely out of context, I am reminded of a lovely Homer Simpson quote, “Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that’s even remotely true. Facts schmacts.”
It seems more and more that major media sources are reporting the same world events every day, and effectively do so in about 30 seconds at the start of the broadcast. This is increasing giving a new meaning, at least as far as I am concerned, to the media hole. (This is evident given recent reporting by major sources on the psudo holiday of Festivus. Man I love Seinfeld.)
