Are you of the belief that the media is dictating our lives, rigging the election and ruining America? Then you have a flawed view of the meaning of the word “media.”
“The media” as a term has become an electric blanket thrown over a pile of snow. It’s meant to be a wide-spanning phrase designed to cover a lot of ground but all the meaning has melted away.
Fox News, CNN and NBC are not the full spectrum of the media, nor are The Wall Street Journal or The Washington Post. Buzzfeed and The Odyssey definitely aren’t the entire media.
So what is it? Well, basically every source of information that you consume.
This means that, yes, The Post is a part of the media but in the same way that Ferris athletics programs are a part of the NCAA. There are many teams across the country with their own respective following just as there are myriad media outlets in America with unique viewership and coverage areas.
Yet the people arguing that “the media” has taken a step back and is contributing to violence, misinformation and divisiveness in our country do have a valid point.
The problem is a two-way street. Media outlets are pushing a product, whether it’s a print publication, news broadcast or a “listicle” on Facebook and are seeking profit. This profit is derived from advertising dollars, which is driven by readership.
Articles that get the most clicks bring in the most advertising dollars which is why you’re more likely to read about a cat whose meowing sounds like it’s saying, “hello,” than a city council meeting decision. The degeneration of the media is directly correlated to the degeneration of those consuming it.
There is still fair, unbiased reporting on important issues going on in the world. It’s not always affiliated with the powerhouses of the media but if you seek it out, you will find it.