Bribed to the Max

Let’s pretend that we’re in second grade and are learning about synonyms…Here’s one for you:
Media Effects=Media Influence=Broadcast Stations=Polygamy

These days the broadcast new stations are extremely similar to male polygamists. Rather than informing the less educated public of information regarding government information and economic ups and downs, these news stations are trying to pull every money making program under their buckling umbrella. These stations are branching out farther than trees and stretching their limbs to the points of creating twigs at the end. Having too much is not always a healthy thing. Walter Lippmann’s hope for truth and trust in the media’s reliability is slowly slipping through the cracks like sand.

ABC and NBC have been in competition for many years. Besides that these two huge networks were part of “The Big Three” as TV was still developing its role from secondary media resource to primary, both have many similarities which puts them at such harsh competition with each other. For example, ABC and NBC both broadcast the five o’clock and six o’clock news. Due to NBC’s mood swings, they changed their broadcasting primetimes twice which ultimately hurt them in the end. This is because ABC took the role of aiding commuters, in place NBC, to retrieve important information at the time that they got home from work. Not to mention, the infamous Oprah Winfrey is on ABC’s primetime schedule at four o’clock with small sneak peak segments of the hottest topics that will be broadcast at five. Clearly, ABC is has reached the finish line first because they have Oprah on their side…

Boo! Swine Flu! … I bet I scared you! Hmm, I wonder why? I think the answer is that the news has taught you to think that the swine flu is out to get you because you have seen it on every broadcast special within the past month. The simple answer is agenda setting. Today’s news stations are experts at making you think about certain topics which makes you think that they’re the most important issues going on in the world and this puts them at the top of your list.

I was reading the news paper this morning, before heading off to dance team practice, and I was pleased to find some citizen news as the headline in the Home News Tribune. The title was “One man, many governments-Franklin man a citizen watchdog.” It made me think about the ratio of people controlling what society should think to people fighting off the repressed shields that the media attempts to place over everyone. Apparently, John Paff is one in a million because he tries to exploit the judicial officials that are attempting to “evade scrutiny.” It’s like not littering. If everyone picked up one piece of trash, or in this case fought for their opinions and what they believed in, the world would be a different, cleaner, and better place. So be like Mr. Paff and fight for what you think is right. Don’t let the media bribe you with interesting celebrity gossip, Oprah, and holding a fake interest in your health. They are bribing you with their media candy and they basically have you on a leash!