SubscribeAmerican Media in Context
There is an ongoing debate over the influence the media has on our perception of news. Two articles featured on CNN.com on Friday epitomize two ends of this spectrum, but ultimately, it was the comments provided by the readers I found the most educating. Perhaps it is more than just the news articles we read that influence our perception of a story, but more the environment and culture in which we live that create a bias. Are we still so isolated as a society that we have difficulty relating to stories that take place on the other side of the world in an environment to which we have little connection? Is it simply human nature to be drawn to stories that are directly related to activities in our daily lives?
With much of the news today focused on the recession, the weakening dollar, and all of the economic troubles we in America may face in the coming months and years, I was immediately drawn to a front page article entitled “$10,000 for a child’s birthday party?” I’m ashamed that I read this article first, but apparently I was not alone. This particular article has spent several days on the “Most Popular” list. Who isn’t entertained to read about parents who will spend thousands of dollars to plan the party of a lifetime for their three year old child? The article highlights several examples of both over-the-top as well as every day parents who invest thousands to ensure their child has a special day. Towards the end the article, the obvious question is asked: “are we sending the wrong message?” The article then references several websites for parents who wish to celebrate with their children in a more “frugal” manner.
While reading this article I was entertained, but the comments that followed were enlightening. People provided a range of insight about their personal experience, as well as their judgment or defense of the parents in the article. Initially I expected the majority of comments to echo my own sentiment of “how ridiculous” and “I would never…” However, several of the comments put me in my place. Jennifer stated
“… children are only young once. With my families [sic] busy schedule everyone coming together is a cause for celebration. People spend money on what they value…and I value my family. It’s about setting boundaries and “not” spending outside your means. And that figure is different for everyone. I just love a great party…and our family remembers celebrations for years to come! I say go for it!!!!!!!!!!!”
Kelly commented
“…I think if you are not going into debt with these parties, and you are doing it for the right reasons, knock yourself out and ignore those that want to judge…just love your kid!”
There were plenty of comments that did express my opinion, and several directed me to the second article “Orphan boy lives in garbage dump.” This article tells the heartbreaking story of a 7 year old refugee living on the border of Thailand and Myanmar. Reading this article immediately after the first makes the story all the more frustrating. How can some have so little, while some live in such excess? Is it the responsibility of the media to decide which article should get prominent placement on their website?
My point here is not to judge the parents that are throwing extravagant parties or to bring attention and sympathy to the struggling refugees in Thailand. Instead, I wish to question how isolated we still are as a society and to highlight how important it is to have a broad perspective when reading any news article. People are drawn to articles that fascinate and entertain. The media responds to this. Why shouldn’t the media post the extravagant party article on the front page in order to attract more readers? Should it be the responsibilty of the reader to put these articles into a greater context of what is happening in the world? While it is easy for a journalist or news source to create bias with their presentation style, it is ultimately the reader that must glean information from this article and put it in the context of the world in which they live.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:13 am
The media seeks to provide the people with what they want. That’s what sells. Still, I’m quite sure that the media also has the ability to take a situation and lift it higher in the public consciousness. Journalists who wish to do this must find it very frustrating to be held back by profits and political agendas. But what about the public? Why do so many find it more important to defend their decision to blow thousands of dollars on a child’s party instead of, say, giving it to their child and telling them to use it to do some good in the world? Even the most selfish child would surely feel satisfied after personally making life better for people or animals. The media may be sorely lacking, but it starts with the reader. Perhaps we wouldn’t have to hunt for meaningful stories if we simply stopped buying the fluff.