Media Bashing

On facebook and on-line chats, in conversations with friends, in a memo from a school administrator, in print and television media, from the pulpit, even from my own mouth on occasion – media bashing has become the easy way to find someone or something to blame lately for any number of issues. The swine flu situation is just the latest national news story to elicit the attacks.

I will admit I am biased on this issue. I wanted to be a reporter from the time I visited a small newspaper in Orange Park, Florida when I was in the 4th grade. I was the editor of a high school yearbook and newspaper. I wrote weekly columns in two college newspapers. I was a television reporter, anchor, and producer for eight years. I have spent the last nine years of my life teaching broadcast journalism to high school students. In some form or fashion, I have considered myself a member of the media for the majority of my life.

I am not ignorant to the problem. I realize the media, the hype they often cause, the 24/7 wall-to-wall coverage, and the reality of infotainment instead of real news can be obnoxious, divisive, and worthy of criticism. You just have to look to stories like the OJ trial, Anna Nicole Smith, and anything involving Britney Spears and Paris Hilton to see the problems. It’s one of the things that bothered me the most while I was still in the field covering every little detail (good, bad, or ugly) about the religion that is the Crimson Tide in Alabama.

So, I get it. That’s why I complain sometimes too, but I think it’s too easy. The criticism is also not fair to all the good, hardworking, trustworthy journalists that are still out there doing their jobs the best they know how. Many of my friends are still in the industry. It’s like saying all people who work in finance are to blame for our nation’s economic crisis, or all politicians are crooks. Yes, major corporations run the majority of the local and national news organizations and try to push their agendas through the content, but that’s happening in almost every industry, in almost very profession.

“The media,” as its constantly referred to in a negative fashion, plays an integral part in our society. I can only imagine how our government would run if journalists were not watching. I personally have seen murders solved, lives saved, missing children found, and worthy causes highlighted, saved, and empowered on a regular basis due to the efforts of local and national media. Some of the most compelling and compassionate journalism I have seen occurred in the days after 9-11. I truly believe television coverage of that tragedy brought our country closer together.

Sometimes, in the newsroom, it’s difficult to get important positive and often heartwarming stories covered, but there are lots of professional journalists fighting each day to cover these stories. Ask my bosses at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. I did it every day I could, and so did many of my colleagues. I hope I am teaching my students to do that as well.

Ultimately, the news media is ratings and reader driven. The phrase “if it bleeds, it leads” is derived from the public desire for hard-hitting, negative news. There have been a few attempts to produce shows that only included “good news.” Hardly anyone watched. It’s sad, and a reflection of our society today.

As far as the swine flu is concerned, Vice President Joe Biden said this on the “Today” show: "I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now, I would tell members of my family, and I have, I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not that it's going to Mexico, it's you're in a confined aircraft when one person sneezes it goes all the way through the aircraft. That's me. I would not be, at this point, if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway. " He’s been criticized for this, but he said it, and multiple national and world health organizations have issued similar cautions. The school my church meets in closed this past weekend due to the swine flu. People in Mexico have died from the disease. Yes, more people have died from the typical strain of the flu annually, but that does not really lessen the importance of this issue.

The swine flu is a problem the media should be making a big deal. Of course some journalists are doing a better job than others. That can be said of employees in any profession -- their job performance is just not broadcast, posted on the Internet, or printed in mass distribution. If you do not like the coverage, limit your viewing. Do not stop watching or reading all together. We need to stay informed. Just find the media outlets you trust the most. Thousands of good people earn their livelihood through this valuable industry. My friends need to keep their jobs. My students need to find a job soon. Hopefully, they will help make a difference.