Accountability or Probability

Should we hold our media accountable? And would this accountability be for the greater good of our society? I would think so. As a college student the most important lesson that I have taken away from my studies is credibility. Now as a writer, a blogger, and an artist I do not consider myself a journalist at all. I voice my opinion and challenge others to do the same and think critically.

With the lack of credibility in our media, this possesses a great danger to society as a whole. If the citizens are misinformed, brainwashed, and subjected to these misinforming media conglomerates 24 hours a day, we are in serious trouble.

The history of journalism is interesting and the beginning of this profession was one that was respectable and important. Journalists would put their lives on the line to inform the public about what was going on, and removed any bias from these stories. These stories simply were filled with facts.

Misinforming the public, due to advertisers, political affiliations, and trying to reinforce the beliefs of one particular audience is another reason we are so divided in America. I often subject myself to other media outlets that I may not agree with. There are often a lot of facts in these stories, but it is often hard for people to separate the fact from the bias, or personal opinions.

These personal opinions are turned into facts, and are often used for attacks against issues. A few examples include global warming, poverty and violence, and our failing educational system. With everyone running around with a briefcase full of false facts, it is easy to understand why nothing is being done to address these issues at all.

So I suggest that we hold our media accountable. We the people, demand that the media informs the audience of not who just their parent company is, but who donates and funds them. If we have access to this information then we can see that things in this country may not be as dire as some say. There could be a solution, but if a solution is found would they keep their audience?

Do not get me wrong. I do not want every show to be filled with screaming individuals that have an audience to keep, and profit from. There are many profiteers in our current media filled world. There are those that profit from hate and misinformation to a degree that could often equate to treason.

Another small victory that we can take away from this election is that no matter how much money is spent it is hard to win an election. While some media outlets were discussing the amount of money that was spent and lack of return on investment, I was laughing. The reason that I was laughing is because the amount of money that was spent is nothing compared to their real wealth. With all of their wealth on the line, and the environment in their back pocket it is going to be interesting who they support the next time around.

So in short, conduct serious researches, check your references. And citizens of the great nation- make sure that you use the search engine of your liking before you believe every post in a blog or social networking site.  But no need to check mine- these are just opinions.