I was skimming over the msnbc website, and this article caught my attention. First of all, it was listed as the most viewed article on the website. Second of all, I realized that something about this title in itself attracted me to it and made me want to read it. The media know EXACTLY how to interest us on any topic. Not that this issue is not an important one in our country right now, but how are we to know what is important and was is not as important to the politics of America? The media can be a dangerous tool for someone, including myself, who is not well informed and doesn't realize the importance of keeping an open mind when it comes to staying informed on what is going on in the country.
This article had a catchy title for a subject that could be titled in a much simpler and to-the-point manner. The article basically summarizes what has happened with this Cash for Clunkers plan we have experienced and how the sudden growth in car sales will probably lead to a very large decrease in car sales in the near future. The way this article is advertised leads its viewers to potentially expect something alot flashier than what this story is really about.
Here is the link for the article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32544485/
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I completely agree that the media will do anything to jazz up a story just for ratings. All they seem to care about now a days is money and power. They dont care about informing the public about the truth. They have lost sight of democracy. Its completely ridiculous. And hey check out my blog. Its http://truthinjournalism@blogspot.com.
ReplyDeleteI also completely agree with you on the fact that the media can be a "dangerous tool" for those who are not well informed about the government and their policies. I actually came across and read the same article you posted. And just as you mentioned, I too, mostly wanted to look more into it because of the title. The media definitely knows how to attract the public and word things in such a way to make the situation seem more traumatic than it actually is or will be. After reading the article, I realized that the media can pretty much set their own agenda and are really more concerned with money and ratings more than anything. Not to say that the "Cash for Clunkers" program is not an important one, but there are definitely more important issues going on today that are worth drawing the public's attention to. The role of the media is to serve and inform the people about the government and issues affecting the country, not to create panic and increase their ratings.
ReplyDeleteWell, their first objective was to get your attention it seemed like they succeeded in that. I find myself checking mediatakeout.com everyday because of the juicy headlines they have, but majority of the time once I click on the story I get disappointed in the contents.
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