Breaking News: People Actually Watch The News..

In stumbling across what I was going to write for this blog I couldn't help but overhear the ongoing debate [coming from the kitchen] between my parents about which 6 o'clock news station they were going to tune into... And in listening to their escalating yet very entertaining debate, I couldn't help but wonder what it was about news stations and networks that made them and many other individuals across the world to tune in and have a preference as to which station they would faithfully watch. Is it just me or doesn't it seem that each news station would pretty much have the same type of information... But apparently that notion has yet to be proven true. I can admit to not being the most consistent news watcher, however, in pondering on these few basic questions.. I couldn't help but to do some research of my own as to what makes news anchors and stations so appealing that  it keeps individuals tuning in consistently ..  Is it the hair? It it the delivery? Is it the popularity of the anchor? Are we really watching the news for its true essence or are we simply  missing the true purpose of the "news"..


When we think of news anchors and the audiences that they voice their opinions to , each approach is going to cater to a different demographic . Some like the more aggressive type while others relate more to the relaxed individual.

Lets take Anderson Cooper for example,  

A young steamy individual that uses the more stern assertive approach to getting his point across. Anderson Cooper covers topics from race, to politics, to the more controversial topics that most media personalities steer away from. Anderson cooper is very confident in his approach and tone and makes his guests know that he will in fact get his point across regardless of wether its right or wrong. Anderson Cooper shows us that you can be bold and stern in your approach , and that that sometimes helps when trying to make a positive impact. 

Oh and lets not forget about Larry King, 

An older yet very stern individual that also likes to get his point across. Larry king covers topics ranging from politics to the latest scandals going on in Hollywood. He interviews not only political figures, but music artists and everyone else in between .  His laid back yet strong willed interviewing style has won the hearts of individuals for years,  and has been proven to be very efficient.  And though he may seem to appear to an older yet more mature demographic Larry King aims to target individuals of all ages. Larry King shows us that you don't have to be overly arrogant or aggressive to get your point across. 

The role of televised news outlets has impacted our minds and television sets for decades now. From the eye catching headlines, trending topics, to the bad makeup wigs and makeup jobs being worn by some of your favorite news anchors, this hour long event has managed to not only shape our individual thoughts on the world and the things going on in it, but how the rest of the world perceives things as well. And in successfully watching a full length news special I can honestly say that it has help change my perspective on the news and everything that comes with it. Yes from the outside it may seem as if it is a superficial world where all the somewhat attractive individuals get to dictate to us what they think we should be informed about, but we live in a society where its better to be informed that not informed at all.  Its not about who's delivering the message or how its being presented, but that it simply is presented for us to be aware. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but with anything in life its about finding a common ground and balance . And in this instance its finding the balance in what we feel is beneficial for us and what isn't. So in closing Ive come to the conclusion that the news preferences and outlets are all equally different because we are all different as individuals. We tune into things that not only  cater to our liking, but that we could potentially live by and trust enough to help guide us in our daily activities... 

The Painful Reality of Reality Television....

When we think of reality television we probably think of some washed up celebrities looking for a comeback or some caddy group of females coming together to 'supposedly' form some cliched sisterhood. From the cat fights, to the name calling, to the parading of expensive houses and cars, what is it about these shows that keeps us so drawn in?  What keeps us somehow yearning for more? Is it merely for entertainment purposes, or are we somehow managing to connect with these shows on a level that we are too afraid to admit. We as a culture have managed to become brainwashed by the ideas of what someone thinks is our everyday reality. Are scriptwriters and producers really that  good at their jobs or are we somehow really bad at ours.... Being able to distinguish between whats really real from what's merely a source of entertainment  seems to be a struggling task for our generation. But what will it take to break this barrier ? Or are we simply just too far gone ...

In watching some old re-runs of my Sundays guilty pleasure The Real Housewives, I couldn't help but to not only notice how oddly stupid the show really is, but how it somehow manages to reflect what people think is "real" in our society. It shows us that if you have wealth and some sort of power that you pretty much can get away with acting however you want to, and that with money and power come more money and power. No its not an accurate portrayal of our society as a whole, but in a sense it somehow does reflect a certain flaw within our world ....SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS ! This sort of hierarchy where the rich are soaring at the top while everyone else manages to fall in line behind them has been a issue within our nation for years . With as much success and fame that these individuals already have you would think with such obtained wealth and mainstream success and a platform such as the television network that these individuals would use their resources and powers for the greater good of our mankind, but of course that's too much like right..... Though we hate to admit it reality television somehow manages to bring out the awful reality in all of us. Not only does it showcase how shallow and downright materialistic they are, but how we as the viewers manage to  aspire to obtain these things that they have (or don't have). I believe that we all honestly tune in not only for the entertainment factor, but because we all somehow aspire to obtain and be these individuals that we so loved to hate. And though their shallowness and materialistic views are plastered across the televisions for the world to watch and judge, somehow deep down within us those same ideas and goals for attention and wealth and power are manifesting within us as well. 

Reality television not only flaunts the fact that we are a materialistic society centered around power , looks and wealth, but it also vividly displays what our society thinks of women as well.  Lets be honest if you aren't injecting the latest animal fat in your skin fighting or flashing some body part of some sort  for the world to see or using profanity in your daily dialect what good are you... Right? This senseless idea that women are these domestic creatures that have nothing better to do with their time than to sit around sipping tea gossiping about things they've read on the latest blogs and tabloids is sad if you ask me.  Yes some have obtained wealth of some sorts but not enough to mask the painful yet obvious truth that they are caddy and will  never be able to coexist with one another.  Women are constantly exploited on these shows and it just sheds even more light on the bigger issues that these 'reality' shows try to hide and further more it sheds light on the ideas and perception that our culture have on women in general.

So is reality television really the devil.... If you ask me, no.. With anything in life I believe its about finding a balance between what's right and what's wrong . And within juggling that balance we have to find whats best for us and what essentially works and fits best with us. And I believe the same notion should be taken when watching 'reality' television.. Do I think it is completely evil and that we should all boycott every single network that broadcasts these shows, of course not....However, what we should do is find the balance between the reality and the fantasy, and recognize that these shows are nothing more than that, a show, a source of meaningless entertainment. In a sense reality television can be rather insightful if you ask me. Insightful on the true reality of the world that we live in and not the make believe one that everyone expects us to tune in and believe.

Local vs. National: Which brand will be able to withstand the fight of the dying newspaper industry?

When I think of newspapers I think of Sunday mornings on the way to church, fighting with my sister over who was going to hand the brave man standing on the corner bearing his highlighter yellow shirt advertising the sunday edition of The Baltimore Sun the dollar that my mom and grandmother gave us. To think that the only recollection I have of any newspaper stems from years ago is sad to say the least, but who honestly can remember the last time they picked up a newspaper? As sad as it may seem - to some - can you honestly blame us? Our ever changing modern world is beginning to slowly diminish the physical edition of our favorite newspapers. From the internet, to the production of tablets and iPads, the accessibility of both local and national news has become much easier than what it once was before. With change comes a sacrifice of some sort. And with our world becoming more and more digitalized the use of certain things has began to deteriorate. Things that used to be a basic necessity have some how turned into something short of a hobby. As generations begin to change, the perspectives on different issues and things change as well. Who can honestly say that they would handle something the same way their grandparents or someone from any different generation would for that matter. As times change, you have to learn how to adapt and grow with the way things are, and I believe that thinking to be true with the newspaper industry.

When we think of the types of newspapers we have so many we can choose from.... From local ones, to regional ones to national ones. Though it may seem merely impossible to compare them, if you had to choose which one were to win in the battle of extinction which one would you pick to win and which one would you pick to lose.....? The obvious choice to win would probably be national news right,  leaving the local news to crumble away to pieces. But why? Though the choices may seem obvious are the answers to the choices that we made going to be that simple as well? Probably so, but lets take a closer look as to why .

When we think of the term  National  we probably think something of that appeals to a broader demographic, something that can reach people in almost every area of the country - or world for that matter- and something that is probably read by a more diverse audience. Like for example the USA Today Newspaper , a newspaper that is known for its diversity on controversial topics. Where as with a term like  Local  we probably think of something more restricted, something that probably won't reach a broader audience, something that will probably only be seen on heard by those that are in that designated area, like The Dundalk Eagle, a newspaper that is prominently known within the dundalk area.

When we hear about newspapers such as USA Today what makes it stand a fighting chance in our digitalized society? If you ask me I think its simply because of the demographic that it targets, as some would say "Its the best of both worlds" .  It has the right mixture of pop culture and politically correct or incorrect issues, it's controversial yet at the same time still playfully cynical. Its a "trending" newspaper, and that unfortunately is the type of society that we now live in. We live in a world that is not just subjective to one type of structure or order. We wanna keep up on whats in and whats relevant..  We can go from wanting to read about the latest celebrity gossip, to who won lasts nights sports event to the latest news on apple products. They manage to make their old school newspaper mentality trendy and somehow a cool thing to do.

On the other hand when hear about The Dundalk Eagle , the first thing that probably comes to mind is what the hell is that? At least that's what I thought anyway, which is probably

why they are on the losing end of the battle... Not only  is it specified for one specific area, if you are not from or at least familiar with the Dundalk area you probably wouldn't read something along the lines of this. I also believe that with newspapers that are locally based you get  a different audience that reads that newspaper as well. When you tap into local newspapers you really have to tap into the essence of what makes that community thrive and who lives in the area as well, its a lot more "traditional" based than what a USA Today would ever be. Dundalk, like any other area in Baltimore has its youthful aspects to it, but the root of it steams from a much older generation. Would you read The Dundalk Eagle to find out the latest gossip on keeping up with the Kardashians? Probably not.. Most locally based newspapers thrive on the response from the people in the area, and depending on the area, that can pretty much dictate the type of things you are allowed to do.


In closing, to be able to compete in this modern world I truly believe that you have to find a balance between whats modern and whats also traditional. Still keeping the integrity of your work while still tweaking it and making it appear to a much broader audience. And I believe that is what newspapers such as USA Today has learned to do, still keeping its integrity as a well established newspaper while appealing to the demands of our ever changing society.

Magazines in the checkout line: Airbrush Much ?

In walking down the checkout aisle of my moms favorite store and browsing the crappy magazine selection I couldn't help but notice the not so subtle images and news titles that were plastered all across the magazines. It seems as though if you aren't breaking up or secretly sleeping with someone else or handing out weight loss tips to women under 120 pounds you aren't popular.  Which brought about the question in my mind of the types of images that our society has to uphold in order to stay some-what relevant , and wether our perceptions of what is really real and what is ultimately not real truly tainted....

After looking at the magazines I really wondered if people actually bought these things or if they are just a quick grab to read while standing in the checkout lines.  All of the magazines were terrible in my opinion. With the blink of an eye you can literally go from racy political magazines, to boring time magazines , to the latest issues of vogue. None of the images are flattering nor do they portray an honest image of beauty or lifestyle choices. If pencil thin models and get rich schemes are not relatable to the general public how is it that magazine publications somehow manage to stay relevant? Though we hate to admit it these provocative and not so subtle magazine covers somehow manage to persuade us into thinking that this is the norm. In living in a society that is so centered around image and obtaining wealth and finding out the latest information on who's popular and not popular its no wonder why these magazines manage to stay on the shelves.
 

Though we may not physically purchase them and take them home with us and store them into our collections , they still manage to make it into our minds and homes . I can definitely attest to looking at an image of one of my favorite celebrities and going home to do a google search on the latest gossip blogs/websites to find out more.  And for some individuals it is much more than that, the images that we are presented with are not only of our favorite celebrities, but to some, our idols and the people that we aspire to be and essentially look up to. But are our favorite celebs and stars really selling us the truth? We as fans get so caught up in the image and look that our favorite artist or celebrity has to uphold, however is this a true portrayal the people that they actually are? In a business that is driven on looks it truly hard to distinguish between what is true raw natural beauty, and what is actually fake. And in browsing the magazines in the checkout aisle I noticed that more than half of the images on the magazines were sexually based. Women posing in underwear and guys with nothing but jeans on. Is this truly an accurate portrayal of beauty?

Though we may forget it the magazine world is nothing more than a business. A gimmick centered around selling false hopes and expectations of things that we seem to forget are not real. In a business where perception and truth seem to be so tainted it amazes me how they manage to stick around. But until we can separate the false advertisement of what beauty and life is like from the actual truth I believe that the magazine world will continue to thrive. Though statistics may show a decrease in magazine sales, I believe they profit off something much more. We as consumers have to remember that perception is reality and that what we ultimately think of ourselves won’t be altered by the images or articles that we come across.

Additional Articles: 

http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshopping-altering-images-and-our-minds/

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/03/the-truth-about-beauty/305620/