Poetic licence

I don't normally watch much TV. So much of it is just pure garbage. The same goes for newspapers.  Most newspapers are not worth the newsprint they are printed on and are only good for wrapping fish and chips or starting fires.The events of the past month however has seen my participation in these things reach a much higher than usual level. The earthquakes in Christchurch and Miyagi have lead to a nonstop barrage of breaking news reports, raw footage and constant updates. My conclusion from all of this is that the mainstream media, both TV and print, is an appalling mess of sensationalism, shoddy journalism, declining standards, questionable ethics and calculated disinformation.

Print media....pulp fiction

Most people in the world are under the impression that the news media exists to inform us of events, to report facts and to quote people who are involved. Somewhere in there it is implied that reporters will seek out the truth and impartially report it "without fear or favour" as the Japan Times tagline goes. Reputable newspapers have always published opinion pieces and editorials. In days gone by these were clearly identified as such and were safely positioned about halfway through the paper in order to clearly separate them from the "real" news. The front pages were reserved for facts. Somewhere along the way this has changed and what we now have is opinion presented as fact. The line between news and entertainment has been blurred and reporters now take positions instead of being impartial.

It is obvious to most that western civilization is in decay but journalism has decayed more rapidly than society. I have some first hand experience in this as my brother is a journalist. During his time he has written articles and stories for various publications that have deliberately ignored facts, realities and the truth.  For this he has won awards and respect in his industry. When I challenge him on such things he isn't bothered at all. Like most reporters today he simply doesn't see it as his job to find out the truth. Facts and accuracy might be desirable but they certainly aren't necessary. Opinions are more important and the most important opinions are the ones which happen to coincide with the position the reporter takes on every story. Top billing will go to the party which closest supports the position the news organization has taken. Man made Global warming is a classic example. Instead of reporting on the ongoing research and differing opinions in the scientific community, the western media has simply thrown it's lot in on the side of the climate change advocates. Any stories that support the theory are trumpeted loudly. The headlines scream that the science is settled, proven beyond doubt. Any one who fails to support this position is derided, labelled as a sceptic, a denier or a crank. The self appointed patron saint of climate change, Al Gore, was widely lauded in the press and given a Nobel prize. Not so widely reported was the fact that he is a fraud, a hypocrite and that his award winning movie has been thoroughly discredited by people who are actually proper scientists. As journalists have found out, taking sides is inherently risky. As it gets a bit inconvenient if the truth gets out, once you have taken sides you must now suppress any evidence that may prove you are wrong and push any story that backs up your position. So many reputations and careers have been staked on the supposition that Global warming is related to man made Co2 they simply cannot afford to be objective or to report on any alternative theory or viewpoint.

Every TV should have one

TV is even worse. Due to time constraints and ever shortening viewer attention spans, it's not whats right that's important but whats the most sensational. With hundreds of cable and satellite TV channels to compete with your sound bites need some extra punch to keep up those all important ratings. TVNZ has recently replaced a lot of its veteran reporters with some good looking young people. Their main qualifications for the job seem to be that they are young and good looking. In TV appearance is paramount. Clarity and ability aren't on the list. Undoubtedly, the ones who can generate the most hype and rhetoric will be promoted to current affairs show hosts.

The recent nuclear incident in Fukushima highlighted the bias and stunning ignorance that exists in news rooms all over the world. It didn't take long before an army of anti-nuclear crusaders was being paraded across TV screens worldwide and some criminally irresponsible reporting was being published and broadcast.

It's also interesting how the English language versions of Japanese newspapers have been very selective of what they report. No mention of looting or theft from them. The native language papers do report these crimes but as usual imply that it's all the work of foreigners.

Luckily, there is an alternative. People everywhere can now connect and communicate easily. You are not limited to the mainstream corporate media propaganda for you daily news information.  The Internet has made reporters of anyone who has a computer or a digital camera and the will to record what they are seeing. There are people all over the world who can now report on events and have their stories reach a global audience without some media hack butchering and censoring them. The greatest thing about the Internet is not free music/movies/porn, online auctions/bookstores or any other entertainment. It is the way in which you can, if you choose, seek out the truth