Choose Your Programming Wisely
Many are the programmed media choices available to the westernized world. My favorite choices on teevee are animal documentaries and non-fictional and non-dramatized accounts of past events. My favorite choices on the radio are jazz, classical and most rhythmic music without lyrics. When I do watch or listen to the 'news,' it is mostly to see what the latest cultural instigation is. The news is typically the latest 'new' atrocity happening either domestically or internationally, or the latest celebrity debutante airing her or his depravity as if they've achieved a new height of social classification. The information within the news, television, radio and popular film seems to always have a particular recipe in the manner it is told. It is all about framing. It is the manner in which a story is told which depicts the desired perception. ( please read a bit about framing at the link )
I see also lots of the negative news being broadcast and shared via social media. One needs to ask themselves: what are you filling their mind, heart and conscience with when reading and forwarding such things. There is a way to mention these things and have solutions ready to be talked about instead of simply forwarding them and venting, which I've done enough of.
When I was studying mass communications at the university, I realized what a mighty and deceptive sword was being wielded in media programming. The opinions and the manner in which fiction and non-fiction is fed to the world takes great responsibility. Hatred can be fostered. Peace can be reasoned. Fear can be administered. Unity can be beckoned. Strife can be programmed. But what is seen in the news is usually negative. What gets the attention of many movie goers is sex, explosions, gun play and car chases. Most pop music is layered with lyrics full of sensuality, one-night stands and treating women like objects and furthering the boasting of male conquest. The failure is that there is a great lack of responsibility in media broadcasting. Most of this type of broadcasting is focused on maximizing profits rather than putting out something edifying which nurtures the spirit of mankind.
In today's news programming, the type of flavor you receive in the conditioned recipe depends on the agenda behind the source. You can read some of these examples here, here and here. Some say conspiracy theory while others say conspiracy fact. Read these for yourself and consider why some information makes the news and some items do not or any given news item is only mentioned in a particular way. As in real life and scientific experiments, what is at one time a mere theory can become a fact.
Choose Your Programming Wisely.
This reality brings me to this point; you have choices to make in consuming media. You have the choice to jump in and try to figure it all out. You can, as I once did, keep up with some specific distractions. I used to think I could get to the bottom of an issue, hoping I would be able to enlighten my friends and relatives. I thought this was a noble purpose. Within this good intention, I found that I had been wrong at times. I had sometimes believed something that was made up or partly false.
Folks make things up all the time to bring attention onto some obscure things, with no easily found facts to back up the claims. If you must look into things, remember to look for citations and resources ( footnotes ) at the bottom of any given entry / article. If they don't exist or the citations are another opinion blog, most likely it is slanted or framed. This isn't always the case, but it is a starting point into reality apart from fiction.
Some things are made up portray someone, a group or a topic in an unfavorable light, with suspicion or distrust. This is the aim of politics. I realized I had been misled at times in following opinion aside from fact. And if opinion happens to be true, we are dealing with people after all and who doesn't make mistakes? Looking to the core issue would bring solutions, like making sure someone in a very responsible position being able to be removed / fired through the proper channels instead of hiding behind impunity and immunity from consequences.
These are some ways today's media, including news, radio and film, is used. This is sometimes by design, other times by accident because the producers and directors have an agenda in their subconscious or are ignorant of the facts themselves. It is very tempting to keep track of the sins / crimes / shortcomings of others, and for some this is their actual vocation. But what does this develop within someone unless they are going to do something positive about it? Listening to, following and arguing about what the news tells you to argue ( framing ) sometimes ends up being another discussion at the water cooler... and this means the aim of the program director worked.
The media and social media is a gigantic virtual water cooler. It can be consumed and forwarded responsibly.
Choose pure clean water over drinking the Kool-Aid.
Choose Your Programming Wisely.
I see also lots of the negative news being broadcast and shared via social media. One needs to ask themselves: what are you filling their mind, heart and conscience with when reading and forwarding such things. There is a way to mention these things and have solutions ready to be talked about instead of simply forwarding them and venting, which I've done enough of.
When I was studying mass communications at the university, I realized what a mighty and deceptive sword was being wielded in media programming. The opinions and the manner in which fiction and non-fiction is fed to the world takes great responsibility. Hatred can be fostered. Peace can be reasoned. Fear can be administered. Unity can be beckoned. Strife can be programmed. But what is seen in the news is usually negative. What gets the attention of many movie goers is sex, explosions, gun play and car chases. Most pop music is layered with lyrics full of sensuality, one-night stands and treating women like objects and furthering the boasting of male conquest. The failure is that there is a great lack of responsibility in media broadcasting. Most of this type of broadcasting is focused on maximizing profits rather than putting out something edifying which nurtures the spirit of mankind.
In today's news programming, the type of flavor you receive in the conditioned recipe depends on the agenda behind the source. You can read some of these examples here, here and here. Some say conspiracy theory while others say conspiracy fact. Read these for yourself and consider why some information makes the news and some items do not or any given news item is only mentioned in a particular way. As in real life and scientific experiments, what is at one time a mere theory can become a fact.
Choose Your Programming Wisely.
This reality brings me to this point; you have choices to make in consuming media. You have the choice to jump in and try to figure it all out. You can, as I once did, keep up with some specific distractions. I used to think I could get to the bottom of an issue, hoping I would be able to enlighten my friends and relatives. I thought this was a noble purpose. Within this good intention, I found that I had been wrong at times. I had sometimes believed something that was made up or partly false.
Folks make things up all the time to bring attention onto some obscure things, with no easily found facts to back up the claims. If you must look into things, remember to look for citations and resources ( footnotes ) at the bottom of any given entry / article. If they don't exist or the citations are another opinion blog, most likely it is slanted or framed. This isn't always the case, but it is a starting point into reality apart from fiction.
Some things are made up portray someone, a group or a topic in an unfavorable light, with suspicion or distrust. This is the aim of politics. I realized I had been misled at times in following opinion aside from fact. And if opinion happens to be true, we are dealing with people after all and who doesn't make mistakes? Looking to the core issue would bring solutions, like making sure someone in a very responsible position being able to be removed / fired through the proper channels instead of hiding behind impunity and immunity from consequences.
These are some ways today's media, including news, radio and film, is used. This is sometimes by design, other times by accident because the producers and directors have an agenda in their subconscious or are ignorant of the facts themselves. It is very tempting to keep track of the sins / crimes / shortcomings of others, and for some this is their actual vocation. But what does this develop within someone unless they are going to do something positive about it? Listening to, following and arguing about what the news tells you to argue ( framing ) sometimes ends up being another discussion at the water cooler... and this means the aim of the program director worked.
The media and social media is a gigantic virtual water cooler. It can be consumed and forwarded responsibly.
Choose pure clean water over drinking the Kool-Aid.
Choose Your Programming Wisely.
Comments