Yep, news is still crap....
I’ve noticed lately that a really popular thing for newspapers to do is find some current issue, pick which direction they want to bias it and/or justify action X, find some individual Y with an opinion or experience that agrees with or is seen to support that bias, then write an “article” that in roughly one sentence summarises the issue and is then about 80% rabbiting on about individual Y as if their opinion or experience is somehow universal and justifies taking action X.
Here’s an example: (ok, it has less than 80% rabbiting, but you see what I mean)
- Certain uni wants to force students to do volunteer/aid work as part of degree
- Individual (a girl named Jen Purcell in this case - it’s important you know her name and see her smiling face) had a fabulous time doing aid work and it turned her into the wonderful, socially-inclusive, caring girl we see in the picture (which is great, and I am of course very happy about, but y’know…Jen isn’t everyone)
- So therefore, obviously, the uni is right to force every student to work in the slums of Calcutta or join Greenpeace and campaign against whaling, because, can’t you see, it changed Jen IT CHANGED HER FOR THE BETTER WE TELL YOU….you are mesmerised by the carefully selected human interest element we added into this article…you are getting sympathetic to our bias….sympatheeeeetic….
Another example: the SMH was running a story on whether it’s right to allow people to sell their organs to rich, needy recipients. So we get a front page article with a massive picture of a dad and his 2yo daughter playing in the sand and a whole lot of waffle about how he would sell a kidney in an instant to give his daughter a house deposit in 18 years’ time and so, obviously,the choice about the ethics of organ selling is clear. Because this dude wants to do it for his daughter’s putative house deposit. See, there she is in the picture. Isn’t she cute. You can’t deny this man his right to carve his body up and sell it to the highest bidder to give her a house deposit. Do you want her to be HOMELESS in 20 years??? You, heartless, bastards.
I know the media has been predominantly vacuous and crap for a long time, but this latest trend really gets my goat. Clearly, newspapers are now borrowing all their tactics from “current affairs” exploitation TV. It’s annoying, because once upon a time you could read a newpaper and at least have a reasonable expectation of finding some news in it.