On September 28th, 2012, Fox News broadcast a
man shooting himself. Being filmed live, a car chase in Phoenix
Arizona ended near the boarder of California
Not often do Americans witness harsh realities such as
suicide. When such actions occur, it
usually gets cut or edited out as to not upset the population with what government
policies deem as too graphic. By filming
live, reporters commentate, but do not retell which inevitably leads to manipulation
by personal views. It allows people
the opportunity to see what is happening around them, evaluate the situation,
and come to their own conclusion on how they feel about such actions, without
manipulation from people, media sources, etc.
News
programs are supposed sources by which direct information regarding world
events is offered. Of course this is not
entirely true. Stories get twisted, and
after being passed down and edited, people rarely hear unbiased narratives. Rather, they get a manipulated version that attempts
to twist the emotions of a population according to the network’s own
values. Of course, this is not just a
stab at news broadcasting, but an inevitability of retelling accounts.
Television
shows, movies, and news programs make it easy to observe what Americans value most,
and that is what is seemingly inappropriate and socially unaccepted. Though such sources provide Americans with the
idea of murder, thievery, law-breaking, and sex as fun and adventurous, our
popular culture, often influenced by Christianity’s stronghold, makes such values
seem improper. What do people want? What they are told they can’t have. News networks feel pressured into providing
Americans with adrenaline-pumping live coverage. Though I strongly support the protection of
privacy, I also find unbiased news coverage a necessity in American society. So if live coverage is the only way to meet
this necessity, and with the ability to protect privacy, American government
should not limit what can and cannot be shown live.
I think we should note what the article points about about Fox News in particular. It says, "More frequently than its rivals, Fox News Channel picks up car chases from its local affiliates and airs it live." Fox News is generally regarded as conservative, with the motto "Fair and Balanced". More than its rivals, Fox caters to the influence of "Christianity's stronghold" which, if viewed logically would deem airing potentially tragic car chases (because the driver getting out to shoot himself in the head is only the second or third potential violent, jarring outcome of a high-speed chase) inappropriate. The only reason so many people tune into a car chase nationwide is because they are expecting someone to die. Fox obviously heeds to this pressure and more than any other network, apparently. This is just another instance of hypocrisy at work in our culture and I appreciate how unapologetic your essay by demanding objective journalism, even if it is at the cost of certain puritanical sensibilities.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what you have written, especially about live coverage being able to warn people in society about dangerous events, such as a car chase, and keep them informed about where it is going. It is an interesting point you brought up about pointing out live events show the full truth, compared to television shows or events that are able to be edited before broadcasted. This brings a sense of seriousness when watching live broadcasts because unexpected occurrences may happen, some good and some bad. I do agree with what you have mentioned about news shows broadcasting live coverage because it can be full of adrenaline and excitement. However, I feel live coverage mainly is for the warning aspect.
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