So much is happening these days one wonders when we have
time to breathe. And then we remember it is an automatic response and a natural
process of living. The news is not altogether natural, however; it is
manufactured much of the time, and presented in ways designed to spark reaction
and behavior that others hope to create within the audience. And then we
realize that’s what we are – an audience.
I am not saying that all media work is manipulative. No. I
think, however, that much becomes manipulative over time as news managers
attempt to package their messages in ways that are attractive to audience
response. That directly transforms into ratings. Ratings, of course, are used
by the sales department to sell ads and price those ads according to the
attractiveness of the news outlet. The higher the attractiveness the more
people will be exposed to the ads the air time buyer is purchasing.
These transactions become so routine over time the news
outlet becomes an audience pleaser. Like Fox News. It has staked out an
audience segment it feels is its base and programs to it. Panders, actually.
Really? Yes, really.
All it takes to deny this is to turn off the media and go
elsewhere for thought, wonder and information. To the sources of news to the
extent they are available to us. To the blank page as an option to fill with
thoughts of our own. And then to ponder anew yet again at what life means and
how society is getting along. And of course that leads us back to the media.
Good or bad, love it or hate it, the media is where the words are these days.
What we can bring to the mix is our doubt over the accuracy
of the reporting. We can challenge the wording and the emphasis on some facts
and not others. We can imagine the vacuums of thoughts that are manipulated by
some. If you question this point, look at the headlines just on July 15, 2016:
Homeless attacked, set afire and killed in San Diego
Black Lives Matter protests go on
Trump belies facts and history; claims truth anyway
GOP denies freedom of religion, marriage, and rights to LGBTs
GOP drills down on Hillary; means to make life hell (like this is
news!?)
Amazon internet effect: competitors’ closing stores (the Mall Effect)
Stock Market Volatility
Brexit, Politics and Economics
Now that’s quite a list for one day. News is not pretty.
Downright upsetting. If you were the news manager for a TV station or radio
outlet, what would you do? If the size of your paycheck depends on ad sales and
rising ad prices, I bet you would look for the news items that would attract
your audience and make sure that viewer segment is satisfied. If you are
correct then program ratings will respond with an uptick. Higher ratings will
be calculated into ad pricing, and ad buyers will seek audience exposure.
That’s how it goes. And your paycheck grows. Bonuses don’t you know!
If we can get past this we might be able to change the
ratings game and its negative effect on the news gathering. Here’s how.
First, truly list what you are interested in following on a
daily or weekly basis. Might this be a helpful list?
1.
City news developments
a.
Rules, laws, enforcement
b.
Economic development programs
c.
Cultural programming and benefits
d.
Crime statistics, trends
e.
Other
2.
Regional news developments
a.
Rules, laws, enforcement
b.
Economic development programs
c.
Cultural programming and benefits
d.
Crime statistics, trends, court reporting
e.
Other
3.
State news developments
a.
Rules, laws, enforcement
b.
Economic development programs
c.
Cultural programming and benefits
d.
Crime statistics, trends, court reporting
e.
Other
4.
National news developments
a.
[same as above]
5.
International news of interest
a.
Peace news among community of nations
b.
Economic news within global economy
c.
Cultural and educational exchanges in global
community
d.
Other
6.
Business News
a.
Investment trends
b.
New businesses and their leaders
c.
Innovation, partnerships and breakthroughs
d.
Stock market indexes and trends
e.
Economic indicators worth watching, studying
f.
Other
7.
Sports News
a.
Game results, tournaments, etc.
b.
Athletes of distinction
c.
Health and training in the sports world
d.
Other
8.
Arts and Leisure happenings, developments
a.
Events, calendar
b.
Reviews of events past and present
c.
Artists in the news; their stories
d.
Inspiration and artistic expressions
e.
Other
You get the idea. Find what you are interested in and follow
it. Where? Wherever you can find information central to your area of interest.
That may be in educational journals, business journals, professional
association journals and news digests in specific, narrowly defined fields. You
may find websites that do much the same and provide the information much faster
and more conveniently.
Over time you may find a variety of publications available
over the internet you can scan quickly each morning and evening, and then
follow up with more detailed reading and research when time is available.
And, you may even learn how to read a newspaper in a way
that avoids the junk and focuses on the gold you are after. Just be careful of
who the authors are and what their credentials are! That’s one reason I suggest
following a good family of professional journals and association news feeds.
Those are the experts who have the credentialed data.
We will process the news intelligently or not. If you are an
audience member to be manipulated, then be forewarned. If you are a consumer of
news that means something, then the world is your oyster to explore.
Remember that exploring leads to discovering. And discovery
leads to understanding and innovation. How exciting that all can be. So much
better than a ratings game!
July 15, 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment