So, in case you haven’t heard, the king of pop is dead. If you haven’t heard by now it means you probably haven’t watched television, listened to the radio, or spoken to another human being in a few days. The twenty-four hour news stations, who up until recently were providing non-stop coverage of the worsening situation in Iran, have decided to switch gears. For the past five days Jackson’s death has dominated the airwaves, with the investigation into his death, the mystery surrounding his personal doctor, and the tentative future of the Jackson family receiving exhaustive media attention.
Meanwhile, Honduras has undergone a military coup, Iran remains a dangerous place for democracy, the House passed a landmark energy bill, and US troops are preparing to pull out of all major cities in Iraq.
So what is it exactly about Michael Jackson’s untimely death that warrants so much coverage? Well, given that news has become an industry who’s very existence depends on ratings, I don’t think it’s hard to figure out why pop stars get more coverage that regime change and legislation. A lot of people listen to Michael Jackson’s music, he was a very influential entertainer, and so people will naturally be curious about his death and want to pay tribute to him by watching montages of his music videos on CNN.
But is this news? If the reason people are watching cable news is to learn about a celebrity they are already familiar with, than isn’t the news in this case reduced to a tabloid? Michael Jackson’s death was unexpected and is a tragedy for his family. What I find even more tragic, however, is that the death of a pop star is considered more newsworthy than military takeovers, civil unrest, and game-changing legislation.
On the bright side, bunnies are still adorable.
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Bottom Line: Its all about sensationalism
ReplyDeletePeople don't even care about getting truthful news anymore, and blogosphere unfortunately tends to enable that. Example: a few days following Jackson's death there were reports that one of the kids who had pressed molestation charges against Jackson had "come clean." Several blogs reported this without a single reliable source. I think many people are suffering a sort of information overload in this age and are regressing more than ever. They tend to cling to whatever's sensationalistic and easy (ie, the death of what is arguably the biggest pop star of all time, save for Jesus).
Let's be real here - the long term effects of Michael Jackson's death will be much more profound on myself and the rest of the world, then, say, our policy on GHG emissions. Global Warming is just liberal propaganda anyway. Am I right?