Unbiased Press?
One of the more popular myths in Western society is that we have an unbiased press. Strictly speaking, of course, this is true. I have yet to meet any printing apparatus with an opinion of any sort. However, apart from a strictly technical standpoint, the claim to an impartial press is entirely speculative and idealistic. Even more impractical is the idea that the press is unbiased in matters of politics, but in matters of principles it is activated by some sort of altruistic desire to aid and educated the public. Two recent articles hint at this prejudice: James Deacons "The Joys of Excess," and Normon Solomon's "Mixed Messages call for Healthy Skepticism." In the former of these two articles, Deacons discusses the frightening trends in consumer culture -- as part of an essay in a paid subscription magazine. In the latter (in a somewhat ironic move) Solomon talks about the way that popular magazine's like Time and Newsweek lecture about health in one issue while simultaneously selling ad space to cigarette and SUV companies -- what Solomon does not mention in his writing is that he has a syndicated column which runs in many publications that include such unhealthy advertising. Certainly, there is a problem with consumerism
"Dear Consumer, the following deadly products It appears that a strikingly large number of people have, on occasion, suspected that the media may be biased or untrustworthy. This would be a major blow to the myth of the media, if it came to be widely believed. However, it appears that by occasionally parading its own failings out into the public eye, media sources might be able to co-opt some of their critics fire. After all, the complaints of a syndicated columnist are sure not to be so vociferous as those of someone not on salary. By attacking itself in easy-to-defend and non-fatal ways, the media may ironically be defending its own business. So it also is that the myth of a liberal press has come about. Though many stories today have an obviously pro-president, pro-war slant to their work, and the majority of stories are calculated to increase calls for law enforcement and central government, one nevertheless hears stories in the press itself of how the system operates with a strong left-leaning bias. Normon Solomon complains that "A special issue of Time...was filled with health information.... page after page of informative journalism, [and also]... dozens of lucrative full-color ads pegged to the theme of health." He rightfully points out that the media is hawking products that kill people, and that even while they offhandedly claim to provide health advice, they cover up the major problems in our society in terms of health. Personally, I rather wonder what he expected of the papers. Newspapers are operated in the hopes of turning a profit. Everyone wants to live a healthier life, and so health sells copies. Copies, however, do one better and sell advertising. The truth of the matter is that most advertised products are not necessary to sustain life... so to keep up the advertising budget, newspapers must accept the money of those who have it to throw around -- in this case, those companies are the ones who have the most ability to benefit from the same individuals who most need a health reminder. (E.g. those prone to addiction, over-eating, and so forth) "Excuse me, but the TV cannot wipe your ass," OR "What's black and white and works Nor does Solomon face the real truth -- as authors and readers, we must not expect the media or the government or the "culture" to remedy problems like our health and social welfare. If Newsweek never again carried a MacDonald's ad, people would continue to die of fat-ind
Some common words found in the essay are:
Excuse TV, Versailles Parthenon, Normon Solomon, Healthy Skepticism, Nor Solomon, Rich Famous, , Deacon Solomon's, West Bank, Christians Likewise, appropriate question, huge sections, products kill, truth matter, kill people, products kill people, syndicated column, ad space,
Approximate Word count = 1653
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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