The Double-Edged Sword that is the Media

The media... good or bad?

I say both. Though probably more on the bad nowadays. After all, it brings better ratings.

On the plus, they spread necessary news. The best wast way to inform people is in mass form, which is the media (in all forms - print, radio, TV, and internet).

But the bad? They over dramatize EVERYTHING!! And it's all for the ratings.

Perfect example... the Swine Flu thing. People... it's just the flu. A different strain, yes, but no worse than the seasonal flu. And just like the seasonal flu, the very young and the elderly are at most risk. But the symptoms are the same. You treat it the same way (Tamiflu, etc.). It spreads the same way. It has the same duration. You can prevent it the same way. And just like the seasonal flu, there can be complications that put you in the hospital.

So why the panic? Because the media has turned it into a frenzy. You hear about the few that have died. And I do mean few, because relatively, it is only a few compared to the hundreds that get over it - just like the regular flu. Again, perfect example... the media got into a frenzy because a Notre Dame student had a confirmed case of the Swine Flu. Out of all the local media outlets, only ONE also mentioned that she's already over it. 100% better.

So sadly, yes... the media has gotten to be just another outlet for drama. A person shot on the east side of town brings in much better ratings that the high school student that won some national competition. So the shooting will be the "Top Story", even though there's nothing more to it that "someone got shot and they don't know who did it." Meanwhile, the kid who worked his butt off to even get to nationals, let alone win, will be a filler story at the end.

So next time there's a 'panic' brought on by the newscast, take a step back and think, "Does this really deserve all this attention?" Probably not. So just wash your hands, and go about your daily business.