The media must be not only responsible in its coverage, but responsive daily to the maladies it covers.
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As the CEO of Techbook Online, a news and event company headquartered in Philadelphia, I interact daily with media and, as a result, I often come in contact with lots of people from various neighborhoods and professions and despite their differences, they usually have one thing in common: a frustration with mainstream media.
The most recent Philadelphian to condemn the media in my presence was the City’s Mayor-Elect, Mr. Jim Kenney, a career politician who on Tuesday decimated his Republican opponent in a historic feat.
Responding to a question posed by a reporter which aimed to understand why the City has such a negative attitude towards new ideas and initiatives, Mr. Kenney suggested that its just the nature of the City, which is exacerbated by the news media, who he said was ignoring success stories about community and government in favor of headlines about crime.
Mr. Kenney’s predecessor, Mr. Michael A. Nutter, in September criticized the news media after less people than expected turned out on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to see The Pope.
The media “scared the sh*t” out of people, he said, referring to news reports that portrayed the city as a one on lock-down during the papal visit.
And by now, everyone is aware of the criticism CNBC was forced to deal with during and after the broadcast of the Republican Presidential Debate.
“The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media. This is not a cage match,” said Texas Senator, Mr. Ted Cruz.
Well this morning, Dr. Ben Carson, who this week released a radio ad that features rap music and is intended to attract black voters, in an interview with CNN’s Mrs. Alisyn Camerota on ‘New Day’ continued the trend of scrutinizing the news media, saying “you guys in the media… just stop for a minute and ask yourself: Am I actually doing a good thing? Am I actually doing something to strengthen the fabric of America?”
“I would hope that at some point the people in your profession would recognize that they would do a much greater service for our nation if they would find ways to solve some of the problems I’m talking about,” Dr. Carson said.
Dr. Carson is right in noting that most media outlets don’t focus on solutions, this truth was the catalyst for a growing genre of media branded as ‘Solutions Journalism.’ But, many media outlets also don’t do a quarterly, collective introspective on their work in parallel with consumers’ complaints.
After Mr. Kenney’s mention of media’s flaws, I chatted with an associate of mine at the City’s largest news outlet. My source confirmed that not even they do an internal look at their content and programs and rather it’s both truly servicing the public and reflective of the diversity of the populous.
The media is one of the most powerful tools on Earth, it shows people the world around them and introduces them to ideas, cultures, images, but can also alter one’s perception of reality, often leading consumers to believe something, someone, or some race is worse than it really is.
The media must be not only responsible in its coverage, but responsive daily to the maladies it covers. The media shouldn’t just be a spotlight, but rather the spark of life to movements, using its power to generate mass awareness, not hysteria.
I don’t agree with much of what Dr. Carson says, but his slow, short and soft-spoken rant against the media, it’s indifference to participating in improving society in particular, is right on the money!
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Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™