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Saturday, June 27, 2009

May I Rant for a Moment?

Pin It I'm fed up with the media.

Over the last two weeks, how much have you heard about Jon & Kate, South Caroline Governor Mark Sanford, Farrah Fawcett, and of course Michael Jackson? Yesterday the news was continually 50 minutes Michael Jackson and 10 minutes Mark Sanford. I get that these are important people in our society. I get that our society has elevated celebrities to god-like positions and that people are interested in the news as it develops. Still though -- all day? Continual coverage? Seriously?

Did anyone hear this story on the news?
Afghanistan: Soldiers Killed in Attack on US Base

It WAS actually on the news. I think it had a 20 second blurb. I'm not usually the biggest news watcher, so I was surprised when my mother in law called me earlier in the week in a near panicked state. (It didn't take long to do the time change math and realize that I had talked to Jim after this attack had happened, so my stomach dropping fear only lasted a few seconds.) Jim's fine, but two soldiers aren't, and there were six wounded also.

It just amazes me that there are serious things going on in our world, yet we as a society are more interested in whether Kate spanked one of her children in anger, or what Michael Jackson's autopsy results will reveal.

I'm angry with the media about it, but I guess it's not even their fault; they're just giving the people what they want. Granted my perspective is a little different now than it was a couple of months ago, so filter this rant through that, but I'm still just horrified by our society, and our media right now.

6 comments:

April said...

AMEN!

Becky said...

I'm with ya, lady. Yet another reason I rarely rely on the tv (network OR cable) for my news. I saw that report online and was wondering if Jim was in the area. Huge hugs; I know that fear. Had a similar experience when Saddam hit the US Marine Barracks in Saudi during Desert Storm. Dan was housing there on one end of his supply runs; wasn't there at the time, I learned 3 days later...

MamaJ said...

I know! Even Fox News, which I really like because they are more conservative, wouldn't quit with the Michael Jackson coverage. Very annoying!

gina m said...

I totally agree with everything you've said.

Now let me give you a bit of advice.

DON'T WATCH THE NEWS. Don't seek out news from the war. And if you DO happen to see or hear or read something, DON'T BELIEVE 99% OF IT. Hubby told me this once he got in-theatre.

Remember that the media - when they DO cover the war - is highly biased (which, to be fair, so are we - just in the opposite direction). Take your information from your husband and from what the Army itself gives you. There's nothing you can do from over here, and the more you avoid "unnecessary coverage," the better off you are. Even if something goes down where he is, you won't get the information any faster from the news media than you will from the military.

Love you!!!!!! Stay strong, Mamacita. You CAN do this!

melanie said...

Yeah, Gina, I typically don't watch the news unless I happen to have all kids otherwise entertained while I'm getting dressed and ready in the morning, which is what happened yesterday. My mil watches the news though, which is how I heard about that story. I did watch for a while that day and never saw a word about it.

MamaJ said...

You know what, I had forgotten about how many times my family would ask me about some big "thing" they saw on the news while Dan and I were deployed. We were always like, "Huh? Hadn't heard anything about it." If it didn't pertain to something I was directly involved in, I had no reason to call home about it. I would ask your family not to call with the stories they hear on the news either. If you have news, you can call them! Otherwise, NO news is good news.