Consumer-based media is funny. (Or is it? My opinion doesn’t determine reality. Neither does yours. Unless you’re God.)

My analysis of the media this evening:

1. Each news outlet inherently presents one view.
Even in presenting multiple views, an outlet is presenting the view
that either all views are valid
or some are more valid than others.
The portrayal of each “side” determines the total bias effect of the news source.
Thus, all media outlets are inherently biased.

[This is negative only, of course, if that bias is the incorrect bias —
and does not correspond with reality.
The problem is that sometimes reality is unpopular and offensive.
Why does that matter? Read on.]

2. That information is usually based on information
they received quickly,
from various sources,
and must be both accuracy-checked
and relayed
quickly.

Thus, information is optimized for speed, not accuracy,
sourced from only the loudest,
multiplied by the most striking headlines
and highest-ranking analytics.

3. That view is presented with the attempt to make most viewers happy —
or at least feel like they are on the same side as that outlet.
If not, the news outlet is, inherently, not very popular,
and thus disseminates less information to less people.
Thus, the most popular media outlets are consumer-based.

4. In order to please the viewer,
all blame for negative aspects of society,
which lead to certain specific events,
is thus placed externally, “out there,”
rather on the individual “in here,”
though the individual is the sole composing unit of society “out there” in the first place.

5. In order to keep the attention of the viewer,
stories appear quickly and sequentially,
giving no time for deliberation —
either intelligent conversation among viewers in the same place, who often hold similar opinions,
or respectful deliberation with viewers who hold opposing views, who often are not in the same household.
Thus, media is consumed at face value.

6. Thus, a culture of groupthink, passive consumption, and fear of the “outside” is created, with no introspection.

7. Who drives this consumer-based system of news dissemination?
We do.

So there you have it:

The media consists of a wrongly-biased view, shoddy research, popularity contests, evasion of social responsibility, low attention spans, and lack of intelligent thought.

Of course, maybe that’s just my opinion, and you have yours.
Or your don’t. But you can dismiss what I say and not form an opinion at all
and scroll on down. After all, who’s to say what’s true?
Because the consumer is god.

We’re selling the news.

Now discuss respectfully:

How could we possibly relay news
in an intelligent way
that creates both awareness of current events
with a reality-based perspective
and positive social action that includes
examining individual contributions and social prevention?

(In other words, how do we fix this? Because this is our monster to feed or starve.)

Aaaaand go.