This is why I have little patience with complaints about the news media's coverage of Britney Spears and the like. The news media offers people what they want. It's a marketplace of ideas. In addition to Britney, the LA Times also offers top rank coverage of issues of great civic importance. It has offered readers that choice, and readers have chosen.
As a journalist, I spend my days on things like climate change, energy economics and federal nuclear policy that I think are of great civic importance. I appreciate the fact that my employer's business model includes the opportunity for us to carry out this civic mission. But I know that all we can do is offer them up. It's up to readers to choose to read them.
But the social deviancy shown by us few sensible folks is going to have a lot of cache in the compound eyes of future civilizations looking back on us.
This is why I have little patience with complaints about the news media's coverage of Britney Spears and the like. The news media offers people what they want. It's a marketplace of ideas. In addition to Britney, the LA Times also offers top rank coverage of issues of great civic importance. It has offered readers that choice, and readers have chosen.
ReplyDeleteAs a journalist, I spend my days on things like climate change, energy economics and federal nuclear policy that I think are of great civic importance. I appreciate the fact that my employer's business model includes the opportunity for us to carry out this civic mission. But I know that all we can do is offer them up. It's up to readers to choose to read them.
"Completely, fucking, screwed."
ReplyDeleteI wish I had something insightful to add, but all I have is this... "True."
John's comment gets at the Pareto 80:20 rule. 80% want to be distracted by trivialities.
ReplyDeleteBest,
D
We are doomed as a civilization.
ReplyDeleteBut the social deviancy shown by us few sensible folks is going to have a lot of cache in the compound eyes of future civilizations looking back on us.