Is it True That Entertainment is Harming Our Society?

“Amusing Ourselves To Death” by Neil Postman presents several humorous yet truthful issues with media two decades ago. Although if you were not aware of this work’s publishing date, you would likely assume that Postman is writing about media in the 21^st century.

A high percentage of the issues Postman addresses are similar to the dilemmas we face in today’s media saturated society. Postman stresses the fact that a large portion of our society no longer views television for factual information but rather they use it as an escape from everyday life. Sadly, he compares our nation’s “character and aspiration” to that of Las Vegas, Nevada. Most aspects of everyday life, such as education and politics, are seen through Postman’s eyes as a form of “show business.”

I can personally say that I largely watch television for entertaining and interesting educational purposes more so than for learning about significant everyday happenings. However, I feel that our deteriorating economy and political issues are mostly to blame for our society’s viewing of entertaining shows over news channels.

I agree with Postman when he says, “Moreover, television offers viewers a variety of subject matter.” There are indeed a multitude of shows each with different plots. He explains that the difficulty of understanding television is rather minimal and the subject matter is directed so as to gain emotional appeal. This is why it seems that today so many people watch comedies and dramas over news reports.

The idea of watching television for entertainment is implanted in our minds when we are children. This comes from parents using their television as a baby –sitter and allowing their children to watch educationally entertaining programs such as “Arthur” and “Baby Einstein” . While they may be gaining useful knowledge from these shows, children are unable to directly interact with a television which may hinder their ability to gain the best learning experience both in and outside of the classroom.

In conclusion, even if Postman feels that our society is excessively relying on television for entertainment, I have a question for him. Wasn’t television invented to be entertaining? How many old shows have we seen where we see the actors watching amusing programs on their tiny television screens? I believe that television always has been and will remain a key form of entertainment well into the future.

This Just In: Cyberjournalism, Your #1 News Source

As we all know from current statistics and personal experience, cyberjournalism is rapidly taking over the influence of traditional newspapers. When we are at work, or we need an immediate update on a developing news story, we turn to our on-line news source to provide us with information.

However, this day in age there is a myriad of news sources to choose from, both off and on-line, making it difficult to seperate false news from authentic news reports. Often times, the most reliable source of information proves to be word-of-mouth. Through conversing with other knowledgeable people, we may discover what is actually happening in our hectic world.

I was interested to learn more about a media company, New West. This objective company has made it their goal to provide the Rocky Mountain population with creative journalism and to "promote conversation" to help them understand the changes within the region.

"New West is a network of online communities devoted to the culture, economy, politics, environment and overall atmosphere of the Rocky Mountain West. In a time of dramatic change, New West aims to serve as a nexus of dialogue and a smart guide to the news and issues that are affecting one of the greatest places on Earth."

Each day, New West provides the Rocky Mountain region with a variety of daily news, reportage, commentary, photography, and most importantly, conversation. In my opinion, this on-line network's unique quality is that it has local sites in eight regional communitites where residents may find news pertaining to their area.

As New West states in the above quote, they compose stories concerning business matters within the region, but they also relay information about entertianment sources such as films, culture, travel, and events. Our book states that a valid news source should be balanced in its coverage. New West provides balanced information for all of its readers and opens its doors to an increase in popularity.

It is important that news sources update their stories as the day continues. This way they remain dependable in the eyes of many readers. New West publishes between 10 and 15 new staories each day to keep readers infromed about current happenings.

On the New West website, you will also find places where the reader, can make their ideas and opinions heard through Citizen Journalism sites. This is the most important component of a news website. I believe that the best way to learn about the news and reamin informed is to talk with others and discuss their different or simailar opinions.

To conclude this post, a sure way to receive valid news is to read sources that are objective and balanced in their nature of reporting. You should read more than one source of information to learn how others view a situation .This way you are not biased to one side of a story. It is to your advantage that you dicuss stories with others as much as possible. Through working with others, you may learn more about a story that you did not previously know.