How many people do you know pay attention to everyday social issues? If this is what the media is covering, is this what the public wants to see? Outside of what is going on with the economy, crime, and immigration, the media does not cover much of what is wrong with our nation. Now a days the news tends to cover everything except what is going on in our communities, we can hear mostly about Britney Spears troubles, the war in Iraq, the writers strike, and etc. When we do cover our communities its usually in a negative light such as crime. There are some serious issues that we tend to over look. After visiting the site current.com, I read about a podcast that was going to be shown on Current TV a network hosted on Comcast cable channel 107. This network is backed by Al Gore and its content consists of podcasts of videos that address different topics that are submitted by the community. This was like watching ADD tv. I was seeing podcast about Amy Winehouse, the political debates, to anti-devices. Since the content was placed by the community you was able to see topics that others thought was important to them and wanted to share.
The podcast that caught my attention was the video about Harrison Arkansas. The videos title was No Blacks Allowed? , which was posted in recognition of Black History month. This video talks about the history of Harrison, which was voted in 2007, one of the top one hundred places to live in but it is still to this day a majority white community. The documentary talks about how the last African American to live in the city was in 1914. After watching this video I began to wonder how many other places in the nation are like Harrison? I understand that racism still exist but in a time when there government continues to say that everyone is created equally but we still allow for organized racism. HOW true is this statement? Are we all equal? Why arent we addressing these issues in the national media?
Here is one of CNNs' breaking stories:
cnnstory
Are we living in a nation of sensationalism? Would like to hear your thoughts on this?
Image of Britney spears taken from:
http://www.intomyhealth.com/diet-pills/zantrex-3/britney-spears-diet.jpg
3 comments:
Wow...1914? Coming from a background that had interacted with various people from various cultures i have personally learnt that people usually gravitate to what they are comfortable with be it what looks like them or what they can relate to. While i will not disount racism being prevailent in some communities, most of what we perceive to be racially motivated usually stems to what people are comfortable with. Enlightenment of societies usually bring us all together..the more we understand each other the more we can relate and be more comfortable amongst each other.
I am also tired of the daily focus on Ms. Spears...however as evident in our society there will not be such focus on her if there was no demand for it. Let's face it - a whole lot of people have grown up admiring her and religiously follow her life...who am i to complain if the general public wants to know more about her rather than genocide in Africa or hunger in Eastern Europe? I have noticed that most of American society is usually cut off from the International world....
Although I tune into CNN every morning, I think the 24 hour news format is to blame for much of the junk now considered "news worthy." The need to fill all that airtime forces CNN and the like to keep us up to date on the latest Britney breakdowns and celebrity fashion faux pas. And since they're trying to capture the attention of someone getting ready for work in the morning or possibly working out at the gym, so called sensational news items will likely continue to trump interesting (though less scintillating) pieces on community issues. While Current may not be doing well financially, it's nice to know that the attempt is being made to provide something different for those seeking it.
Hugh, I have tuned in to current tv (or ADD TV as you call it LOL!!) on Comcast 107 a number of times since I read your post and I must say that it is addictive. The refreshing thing about this channel is the diversity of programming and a few talented individuals who have some fresh ideas about cinematography and direction. This must be a great place for showcasing one's talent if one is trying to break into the media business. I'll be watching on and off to spot the really good stuff in between the ADD spots!
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