Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Don't shoot the media

For many of us, disasters are fortunately not things we experience first-hand. Instead, they are events we hear about, read about or see in mediated ways, be it in newspapers, movies or books, or on television or the internet. It’s true that if you only read the headlines on an issue, especially in a biased media element, you will be likely lead into thinking the way that media element wants you to think. Often, headlines are worded in such a way to grab attention, and only in the fine print will you find any reasoned, substantially accurate information on the topic. Such investigative journalism is right and proper however if it’s backed up with documents, interviews with responsible witnesses, and other reliable primary sources. Emotionally charged aspects can in fact be properly drawn out without providing the elements needed (such as pertinent background, investigative, or contextual information) for the audience to form its own opinions on the subject so long as critical thinking is applied.