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What are your thoughts on reality tv headlines in the news today?
October 30, 2009 by Steve (send comment)
Millions of people nationwide watch the news every day. Throughout the past few months, these viewers have been bombarded by an inordinate amount of “reality” stories. The fates of Jon and Kate Gosselin’s divorce and other such stories have been plastered all over headlines and newsreels for many weeks. The stories, however, aren’t actually “news.”
The most recent fad story that has appeared on Fox and CNN is that of the so-called “balloon boy.” A young boy was supposedly trapped in a balloon that was flying high over Colorado, when, in reality, he was hiding in his attic with a thorough supply of snacks and food. The story made major headlines at first and the nation watched with baited breathe to find out if the boy was still alive. When it was discovered that the boy was alive in the attic, the story should have gone off the air. Instead, the news stations swamped the family, asking them to appear on talk shows and television interviews, questioning whether the ordeal was a hoax or not.
I believe that such stories should never make the headlines. A boy trapped in a balloon is news; how he faked the entire ordeal is not. Too often today, news reports focus on fads, flings, and reality headlines. Who’s dating who or who received money from a lawsuit is more important than the soldiers who are fighting for their country in Iraq and Afghanistan.
News stations are doing the populace a disservice in airing “reality” headlines. They are turning the country’s focus away from things that are really important to things that could be considered laughable and ludicrous. News stations are making us believe that such stories are actually important and pertinent to society as a whole, which they are not. More often than not, a normal citizen on the street is more likely to know who Jon Gosselin is dating rather than who just passed an important bill in Congress.
I think that news and media corporations should focus on stories that have a genuine impact on today’s society. Economy news and information about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan should take precedence. We should also take time to entertain stories about what congressman or senator supported what bill or law. These things affect our entire nation. What laws our government passes will affect us in the future, the fate of “Jon and Kate plus 8” will not.
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