Five days ago a man, Matthew Cordel, confessed in a youtube video called "I killed a man". Cordel confessed to being the drunk driver that struck down a person and took a life. The confession told his story of how he blacked out and tried to drive home that night. He drove the wrong way down the highway and killed Vincent Canzani. His attorneys told him that they could get him off free and that there had been cases before where they were able to remove the blood tests. He could have gotten of with a clean slate. All he had to do was lie.
I first heard about "I killed a man" on a 15 second clip that was quickly shown on the news. I couldn't believe that something this serious was given a minimal 15 second time slot while a person trying to sell back to school products was given 5-8 minutes on the air. The whole set up seemed backwards to me.
I feel that American media has desensitized and caused americans to misinterpret what really matters in the world. Because of huge corporate sponsors and television networks trying to get ratings, the real news is being overshadowed by less important matters; like what the newest video game is or how to cook your dinner. Because of the way the media is set up, the news comes is displayed so quickly that it is hard to find it interesting or motivating. American media has desensitized the viewers to the content of the news.
I'm not saying all american media stations are awful and should be shut down, all I'm saying is that maybe they should reevaluate how they prioritize the news. Do you think american media is overbearing? Do you think the media displays the news well or do you think there is an imbalance of news and unnecessary fillers?
That video gave me a really bad vibe. Maybe I'm cynical but it seemed very much like he was playing himself as a victim, and a hero for telling the truth. The combination of the background music, his smirk, and occasional camera panning to his scar really grossed me out...it's not about HIM.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go as far as another commenter on the video, that it's a ploy to demonstrate his remorse and get a reduced sentence, but all in all I think the video was in really bad taste.
As for media question- yes they have imbalanced values, but that's because they tell the news for a profit. They want to air stories that will get them the most views to get more money from advertisements. They have sponsors who pay them to air segments that are really just disguised advertisements.
I agree with your point that as a society we've become desensitized to things that should normally horrify and shock us, but I don't know if the media is the only thing to blame. As individuals living in a world that is constantly filled with depressing news stories such as murders, environmental ruin, or war, we choose for ourselves to stop caring. They become so commonplace that as we stop being surprised by the news, we stop caring. So, as you said, this is primarily the media's fault, but I believe that we also decide on an individual level whether or not these stories are worth our time and emotional energy.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your last question, whether or not there is an imbalance between news and unnecessary fillers. I think that any unnecessary fillers causes an imbalance because the news should be news and news alone. I agree with Billy when he says that fillers are "disguised advertisements". The news has a lot of influence and has to use this influence responsibly. When your watching a commercial at least you know you are watching an add and not just another news story.
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