Here's a news flash: reporting is not what it used to be.
Okay, so I might be exaggerating. I'll admit, I haven't done enough research to know for sure whether reporting in the 1800s was more relevant than it is today.
But what I do know is that when I turn on the 11 o'clock news, I do not want to see Lady Gaga's face staring back at me. I want to see some real news.
It could be that I'm just a purist when it comes to hard news. My point here is that it's a big world out there, and I'm pretty sure there are enough important global events going on that we shouldn't run stories on who's getting divorced in Hollywood.
I'm sorry Fox News, CNN and all the rest of you, but I didn't give a damn about the royal wedding last spring when there was Egypt and Libya to think about. And frankly, I couldn't care less that Steve Jobs resigned--not when hurricanes are battering the eastern United States, Chinese miners have been trapped underground for days and Gaddafi is still missing in action.
The concerning point is this: the media reports what the people care about. So if the media are reporting "news" that NOBODY (in my humble opinion) should care about, then what does that say about us?
It says that we have lost interest in global affairs. And in an increasingly interconnected global society, this, to me, is the most disturbing thing of all.
I just can't help but feel the kind of society that cares about what's going on halfway around the world is the kind of society that embraces diversity, advocates tolerance of all cultures and beliefs, helps out its neighbors when they are in trouble and generally--try not to gag--works to make the world a better place.
So, on that note, it is my hope that the future media will take a less shallow and more global-minded approach to reporting, reflecting the interests of a public that actually cares about the world outside the entertainment industry.
As college students, we find ourselves in the exciting role of the newest generation of world-changers. Taking an interest in the things that matter is our responsibility.
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