Blogprompt 4: Media

To what extent do best selling UK newspapers cover stories related to "serious" issues? To what extent would you think it is their role to do so? In your opinion does the tabloid media and "low budget entertainment" (reality shows, soaps) have too much power and influence in this country?


When overhearing a conversation between friends, you don't hear them discussing any "serious" issues like Climate Change, you hear snippets of what happened in Eastenders or Coronation Street. When there's a power cut, the first thing on most of the population's mind is that they'll miss their favourite programme not on whether the hospital's have power or whether the street and traffic lights are out.

As I personally don't watch any reality shows, soaps or read the newspaper, I can only speak/write about other people's experiences rather than through my own experiences. Like I said/wrote in my previous blog, I believe that as citizens we have the right to know what is happening, even if we don't understand it all. The media writes about "serious" issues to a certain extent, but only if it they believe that the majority of the population want to hear about it. Even then, it is sometimes twisted to make it more interesting, they will leave important facts out or will only show one side/view of the story.

The problem with the media is that if they mention one thing the wrong way or take it too far, it can start a panic. For example, mass hysteria about the Swine Flu was provoked by the Media who just saw it as a good story. On a yearly basis, thousands of people can get the "regular" flu or a flu mutation (which aren't that different to Swine Flu) in just one country, however a few secluded cases of Swine Flu in varying countries and suddenly we're in an epidemic!

The media in my opinion has too much power, effecting our lives in such a way that we sometimes don't even notice. We have become dependant on reading our weekly newspaper, magazine or watching our favourite soap and go into a panic when we miss it for any reason. Our lives shouldn't be ruled by what we read or watch as it has most likely been manipulated to put it into a better light, make it seem more interesting and/or shows only a specific side to a story. Some soaps show serious issues but in a more comical or dramatic way, to make it more user friendly but shouldn't we also hear/see the real story too?

References
Image from: http://www.art.co.uk/products/p14798656-sa-i3067315/posters.htm

Blogprompt 3: Empowered Citizenship

To what extent do you think that it is your duty as a citizen to be 'informed'? Are you informed? How do you get to be informed about serious issues? To what extent do you think that you should leave the complicated decisions up to others?

"It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens" ~ Baha'u'llah

We are all citizens of our country and our world so we should all be informed of any news that may have an effect upon our lives and well being but this is not done often enough. When we do receive it, most of the time, it is heard through the media (newspapers or TV generally), however it's been twisted to make it more interesting, the facts have been blown out of proportion and they generally show the writer's point of view, sometimes practically tell us what to believe. Scientists and politicians may seem very professional but many don't take into account all of the sides of any situation, sticking to their views and the views of their superiors because their the ones who at the end of the day, give them their wage.

To some extent, I can see why it is better to leave any complicated or serious issues up the experts in that field, however we should still be told about it and given our chance to have a say instead of being cut out completely and allowing the "experts" to make the decisions for us. It seems unfair that they should have all the say in topics that effects magnitudes of people just because of their profession and position in society. Just because they have a high paying job doesn't mean that they're good at it and are always right, everyone makes mistakes but theirs could have catastrophic effects. When something goes wrong, the scientists and politicians would rather blame someone else rather than admit to it.

Being a citizen is like working in a team, you need a mixture of people with different skills, ideas and views to get the best result because if its combination of these attributes and opinion. By allowing just the scientists and politicians to make our decision, any useful ideas or views that we "ordinary" citizens have are ignored and the final decision may not be the best for the entire community/country/world as a whole.

Being a citizen means that we have the right to know what is going on and to be informed about any changes that are being made that could effect our lives. We should be able to have our say in any important decisions, not influenced by propaganda in the media or the high-waged people in society because at the end of the day, we are all citizens and each of us are as important as everyone else because we all share this one world. Any decisions made should be made by the whole community and not only a privileged few.


References
Quote from: http://www.quotegarden.com/patriotism.html