When I started this blog among the many reasons that I started the blog was not only to offer a place where caregivers could come to, to vent, receive support and ideas but also to offer support to people with elderly parents everywhere. It doesn't matter to me if I have never met someone or don't really know them, if I read that they are going through some trauma with their relatives I add them to my prayers and good thoughts. I don't really know the hostesses of a blog I often go to but what I do know is how hard it is to have a parent with a serious injury or illness. I also know what it is like to not be able to get an elderly parent on the phone and have a premonition that something terrible has happened. There was a post yesterday at http://satellitesistersblog.blogspot.com/ telling about the sisters' mom falling on public transportation and breaking her hip. Like many parents their parents not wanting to be a burden didn't call any of their children to let them know they were going to the hospital. Apparently one of the sisters had tried to get a hold of them and couldn't. On the way into a Bruce Springsteen concert she had a premonition that something terrible had happened, left the concert, and went on a mission to find her parents. Can you imagine the fear that young woman felt? I've been there, called couldn't get a hold of my mom or dad, knew something happened and went on a mission to find out what was up. The fear is absolutely excruciating. Your whole body becomes a stress magnet. It doesn't get any better when you find out your fears are justified. OK, this is a real supportive group here that has done marvelous things with prayers, good vibes, good thoughts. I think it is time to send prayers, good thoughts, good vibes in the sisters' direction. Please say a prayer for the sisters, their parents, their family, and add a special note for the sister with the esp. If prayer isn't your style then muster up all your good thoughts and vibes and send them the sisters' direction. I'm sure if you posted a supportive message on their blog at http://satellitesistersblog.blogspot.com/ under the post "Liz: Family ESP" or sent them an email at sisters@satellitesisters.com letting them know you are thinking about them I bet they would appreciate your support.
STATE OF PLAY is a very good movie about journalism. The movie reminded me in many ways of ALL THE PRESIDENTS' MEN. Starring Helen Mirren, Rachael McAdams, Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Jason Bateman. Directed in excellent style by Keven MacDonald of THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND fame, the all star cast was in great form. The movie's plot turns will keep you interested and on the edge of your seat throughout the movie. Helen Mirren was marvelous in her role as editor-in-chief and boss of reporter Russell Crowe. Crowe was in full form as was Ben Affleck as a handsome politician and boss of his murdered researcher that he was having an affair with. The weak link in the movie was McAdams who just couldn't keep up with the amazing abilities of the stunning cast. Five footballs for this movie. One each for Mirren, Crowe, Norton, MacDonald, and a special fifth football for the question that it has me asking myself when I left the movie.
That question was "What in the hell has happened to the Fourth Estate?" Could have this kind of story ever been discovered in the media environment that now exists? The environment where news is no longer news but entertainment. Where journalists are no longer investigative reporters but instead promoters of the same people they are covering. MSNBC isn't really on the air to investigate stories, they are more on the air to be promoters of the Democratic Party. FOX news isn't really on the air to investigate stories, they are more on the air to be promoters of the Republican party.
I see a lot of danger in co-mingling politics with journalism. I also see a lot of danger when what used to be sources of good journalism becomes entertainment. Today's assignment is to tell me what you think of today's media? Do you prefer news as entertainment? Or would you rather have news go back to being news? Do you even watch the news anymore? If you are a news junkie where do you go for hard news?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
News should definitely be NEWS! John doesn't watch TV news at all anymore - he gets his current news from the internet and morning local paper, more depth from Newsweek magazine. I still watch a network news program (local and national), but never, NEVER the Fox station (I refuse to call it "news") and only occasionally Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. We do watch PBS on Fridays - Washington Week in Review, Bill Moyer's Journal, and NOW.
I haven't seen the movie you mention, but agree that there is very little investigative journalism going on anymore.
I'm with Mary Z. And even more with her John. I don't watch TV news except when it's on when I visit my mom, and then I don't pay much attention. I used to get most of my news from the LA Times, but it has so far slenderized now that I can't depend on it any more. I read Newsweek magazine and listen to radio, and I probably am not as up on things as I was when the paper was a NEWSpaper.
For some time now, I've deplored the state of journalism, even when the paper still covered just about everything. What happened to starting a story with "Who, What, Where, Why, When"? Now you have to turn to page 27 to find out what the darned story is about, because they start out with some kind of evocative writing that is better suited to a novel.
Am I grumpy again today? Yeah.
Hi There Mary Z
I also watch the evening news but tire of the stories about a lost dog or cat returning after months on the road or this lady had eighteen children. I would love to know about what is really going on, where the economy is really at, who is really responsible, etc. Instead I get fluff.
Bill
I agree also that News should be just that, News. We used to get the daily newspaper, watch morning news, if home news at noon, and nightly/evening news. After the Shankster had his heart attack in 2006 the first thing the heart doc said was for him to NOT watch the news ever! So we stopped. We get our news like MaryZ's John, from internet and we occasionally steal the Sunday Paper from dad. But don't find much news like Pat said without having to sift through a bunch of crap.
:)
Hi Pat
You don't sound grumpy, you just sound real and passionate.
The Who, What, Where, Why, When has went the way of leisure suits and mood rings. The are no longer part of our culture. Today's biggest headline on the front page today was "Oregon can't afford the death penalty." Certainly not a front page story in my mind.
May we need to start our own damn newspaper.
Bill
Hi Dona
I agree with the heart doctor, some of the stuff that is on the news is doggone frustrating and annoying that it no doubt causes the stress level to rise!
And what we get now is crap.
Bill
Bottom line, for me, is that we have media, hype, sensationalism, but we don't have news. As others said, the five "W"s are gone. As others do, we get out news from the internet (and even then, some of the links are hype, not news) and quit taking the paper a couple years ago.
I am still chilled by the story a former client relayed. I'd ghostwritten a nonfiction book for him dealing with the environment and extremist groups he'd investigated undercover. He'd done an appearance and a "reporter" asked to interview him. He said fine, so long as his quotes were given verbatim and not taken out of context. So long as the article was news and facts. The reporter told him that his job wasn't to report facts, but to impact and/or sway public opinion. Barry refused the interviw. I can't remember the last time I read a good piece of investigative journalism. In too many cases, it seems TV and print media has become a reporters op-ed opportunity or articles are slanted to the opinions or values or whatever of the producer, publisher or advertisers. In personal experience: After we lost both our dogs because they availed themselves of the berries of a highly toxic decorative plant in FL, I wrote a feature/human interest article and submitted to FL papers. The article contained facts, including quotes and stats from both human and animal control and the local extension offices, as well as internet research. The article was summarily rejected, based on the fact that the papers were supported by numerous nurseries and Home Depot and other big box stores, all of whom sold the plant as a very popular landscape addition all along the west coast of the state. "We can not offend or negatively impact those who support the paper." Never mind the fact research and statistics showed the plant could kill a child as quickly and painfully as it did our dogs or the numerous cows and horses listed in the stats.
At the risk of sounding cynical, I have serious doubts about the credibility or validity of much of what is presented by the media. I think they believe the adage, "If you hear/see something often enough, you come to believe it's true," and that too many of them have an agenda to promote.
I will keep the bloggers families in my prayers and hope all goes well for them. I think any of us with elderly parents, who are beginning to show signs of fraility, live in some sense of fear. Thank goodness, many of us have intuition that often is well worth following.
Hi DR
The story your client relayed is just the type of story that shows how we got in the mess we are in today. Money is more important that facts. Greed trumps danger. So what if a kid or two or a few an animals bite the dust just think of how much money we can make. It stinks.
Thank you for keeping ths sisters in your prayers and posting on their blog! They did read all the comments to their dad while he was in the waiting room during his wife's surgery.
Bill
Post a Comment