The News Game~~A Tragedy All Its Own

"Yesterday evening, I was watching the news accounts of the Navy Yard shootings. The news media works overtime to create the impression that this country is characterized by the demented, the cruel, the amoral and the savage among us. This is the message that creates ratings and ratings sell advertising and advertising creates profits. Don't kid yourself-every US news outlet is in business to make a profit. Then, a few minutes later in the broadcast, in a report on the flooding in Colorado, they mentioned, barely pausing, an unknown citizen in Colorado who jumped into a raging, flooded river to save an elderly woman he didn't even know. I contend that for every school killer, every drive-by shooter and every mass-murderer of unarmed people, there are a hundred average citizens who would jump into a flooded river or run into a burning house to save people they don't even know." John Bane, Information Technology Manager at South Carolina Division of State Information Technology

Tragedies like the naval yard, Boston bombing or Aurora are certainly newsworthy but are exploited by news organizations for their explosive nature and ability to boost ratings. The sad thing is that often, in news organizations to be first to report race, they get it wrong like yesterday with the type of gun used.

I heard one reporter ask the same question at least 10 times and get the same answer each time, "I do not know". It's maddening!!

All this to the detriment of good news, Because good news does not boost ratings and sell advertising. I did google searches for the name of the man that John Bane talked about but to no avail. I guess hero's do not boost ratings.

Then there were the usual people that try and politicize every tragedy. The gun control advocates moved quickly to the microphones to deprecate AR-15's even though the report about its use were wrong. The DC mayor had the gall to blame sequestration. Of course this was newsworthy for the liberal drive by media.

Spend some time on the unbelievable number of gun deaths in Chicago and what is going on to stop it. That is a tragedy that plays out every day. That will not happen as it does not fit the liberal news agenda.

I would ask that news agencies report the facts as they are authenticated, inform us of new developments, give is pertinent background data and move on. I would also ask that they not give these perpetrators their 15 minutes of fame because that, in part, is what they are after.

News and the way it is delivered has changed and in part it's the consumer's fault. We dwell on such tripe and watch so much garbage on television that we have given carte blanche to news organizations to titillate us with shocking news.

I miss the days when I could read about Mrs White's win at the pie baking contest of Mrs Smith's cat delivering a healthy litter.

Randy