Media as a corporation

A professor once told my class that a journalist’s aim was “To comfort the disturbed, and to disturb the comfortable.” Although the original quote was from Finley Peter Dunne, it is still used when talking about journalism, and even art now. The mantra goes along with what the media thinks "people want to hear." I still think about this quote whenever I think about what stories journalists want to cover. 

When the media only talk about superficial problems and “news” that’s what people think about. Those are the issues that get brought up in politics with the decision makers.  Politicians are rarely bringing up real issues.  Then the journalists don’t cover any either. They never talk about climate change. And as was brought up in class, they never talk about real problems of other people than white, middle-class.

Here is a national news outlet that has talked about gun violence in Chicago. It’s a nonprofit station and this story is so well done. Please, listen to it if you have time. 

I think right now after seeing so many news outlets frame stories, mess up facts and only talk about superficial issues I’ve seen good examples of nonprofit news stations. England’s BBC is a good example of a nonprofit, government subsidies that covers more sides of the stories than most news outlets.

Public broadcasting and alternative news is so important for our country. Keep supporting public broadcasting!