You Deserve Better News

Have you ever sat down to watch the news on TV and stood up questioning your faith in humanity?

I have. It’s a devastating experience.

If you’re like me, watching the news is like watching a poorly-produced reality TV show. Everyone seems to be yelling at each other, a scary number of graphics are misspelled and dear Lord, there is SO MUCH CLEAVAGE being flaunted across the screen in full HD. Not a fun experience for most. In fact, I find it pretty insulting to the audience’s intelligence.

A man is interviewed by many news stations. 

In the past decade or so, television news has become flashier, more sensational and increasingly focused on entertaining instead of informing the public. Lindsay Lohan gets more viewers than child abuse, and Kim Kardashian can rake in the ratings more quickly than a story uncovering government corruption. To sum it up, ratings have become more important than strong and informed storytelling.

Granted,  there are still some great shows out there telling real, hard-hitting stories, but even the best programs, like 60 Minutes and 20/20, feel the ratings pressure. Money matters, and no one is immune.

Plus, with the growth of the internet and tough economic times for industries across the board, it’s become harder and harder for traditional news sources to stay alive. Under this pressure, journalists have had to sacrifice the quality of their work just to have work at all.

As the audience, we aren’t innocent either. The truth of the matter is that we live in a world where we’ve stopped caring about what we see on TV. We’ll only sit down for what catches our attention, and oftentimes, bad news means boring news, and journalists feel forced to jazz it up just to keep the audience’s attention.

“It’s what the audience wants,” people say. But is it really?

Journalists ask the tough questions.

As productive, educated, contributing members of society, it’s our duty to stand up for the news we deserve. Granted, it’s human nature to want to be entertained, but there’s a time and place for flashy and fun programming, and it’s definitely not television news. We must draw the line and demand better, smarter news.

The first step towards empowering ourselves is to understand the basic values and purpose of journalism.

Journalism is the cornerstone of our democracy. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press go hand in hand as the core values of America. In fact, it’s hard for Americans to imagine living in a world where we can’t speak our minds. America is proud, and deserves to remain proud, of all of the voices which make up the fabric of our society.

The first steps towards remedying the problem are to stop, look and listen. Take a moment to reflect on what types of media you consume, and think about what you deserve to know.

The next step is to engage with your news. Take ownership of what you see and make your voice count.

Here are three important and easy ways to engage the news media that directly contribute to a higher standard of American journalism.

1. Don’t be a silent critic

Many of us are guilty of snide comments against the news. How often have you heard the following sentences?

“I can’t believe that made it on air.”
“I can’t even watch the local news anymore.”
“Who cares?!”

One call can make a difference.

My solution to the exasperation that we feel is to take action. If you don’t like it, speak up. Disagreement makes for great discourse and alternative views only make the news more fruitful. Leave a comment on the webpage, send an e-mail to the news desk, or do a little research and find the direct phone number of the news director or executive producer. Call those people in power and let them know that you are unhappy or dissatisfied with what you saw.

Just one voice is better than none at all. Believe that your opinion counts.

2. Advocate for women and minority representation in the media

KSHB-TV Reporter Najahe Sherman

Both in the newsrooms and on the air, women and minority groups are severely underrepresented. How can we call ourselves a democracy when so much diversity is silenced?

According to the Women’s Media Center, women own only 6 percent of the commercial broadcast TV stations, despite comprising 51 percent of the American population. Minorities own a mere 3 percent of TV stations. In 2006, women reported 34 percent of all stories at CBS, 25 percent of all stories at NBC, and 23 percent of all stories at ABC. Minorities covered 15 percent of stories for CBS, 10 percent at NBC, and 10 percent at ABC.

The news will never accurately reflect reality if we don’t demand diversity in the newsroom. You can change this by advocating for gender equality in all industries, not just the news. Support strong women in whatever profession they chose. Mentor young girls and instill a message of hope in our future generations.

It’s also important to create equality on air. Take a look at the statistics. According to the  Women’s Media Center, on the broadcast networks’ Sunday morning political talk shows (NBC’s Meet the Press, ABC’s This Week, CBS’ Face the Nation, and Fox Broadcasting Co’s Fox News Sunday), male guests outnumber female guests by an average ratio of four-to-one, white guests outnumber guests of any other race or ethnicity by nearly seven-to-one, and all four shows are hosted by white men.

To make a difference, start by watching Miss Representation, a powerful documentary about how women are treated in the media:

Refuse to tolerate the marginalization and sexualization of female journalists. Too often, we see more cleavage than hard-hitting headlines on our newscast. How often have you found yourself wondering how the weather girl navigates the green screen in such a short skirt, or thought your evening news team resembled as a middle-aged man paired with someone who is young enough to be his granddaughter? Not only do those female journalists deserve better, so do you.

Additionally, you can pick up the phone or send an e-mail, asking those in charge at news stations to hire journalists who reflect the community. If you aren’t happy with a scantily-clad news person prancing around on morning television while your kids eat their cereal, make your opinion count. There is no one more powerful than the viewer.

3. Stay engaged

The worst thing you can do is reject the news completely.

Journalism is an integral part of a democratic society. Only informed citizens have the power to judge and the right to change what we see, read and hear in the media.

Uncle Sam wants you to do your part!

Take the time to gather news from a wide array of sources. Don’t just watch and read what you like. Challenge yourself to reflect on the shows you watch and think about what you would do to make them better. Then, the most important thing is to do your part in making it happen. Don’t sit on the sidelines and let other people decide what you should know.

As an audience, as Americans and as intelligent human beings, we should all take a stand. One voice at a time, we do have the power to bring back good news.

Let's do this.

Copyright Vicki Chen, 2011
Images Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8.58