The Media, 911, Iraq

      If you mention September 11, 2001 to anyone in the US (especially New Yorkers), you’ll receive numerous stories and emotions that relate to either tragedy or courageousness. People wanted their stories to be told, and news reporters were more than ready to receive any ‘scoop’ they could get their hands on.

      Yes, September 11 struck a media frenzy all over the nation and across the world. You could not flip through channels without being bombarded with images of the Twin Towers crumbling down, people jumping out of the Towers only to plunge into their death, and bystanders running for cover as debris was falling onto their heads. Through these horrific images people went from being deeply hurt to anger and all fingers pointed to the Middle East. Could America ever feel safe again?

It does not surprise me that after such a tragic day, all focus would now be turned to the Middle East and the thought of such people having weapons of mass destruction in their grasp would be just the push Bush needed to retaliate. So, what did America do? Go to war.

      Yet, this is just the beginning of such a controversial event for there are two sides to every story. Michael Massing’s book entitled, Now They Tell Us  (more like what are they not telling us), depicts how, “pre-war journalism was flawed, as too many reporters failed to independently evaluate administration claims about Iraq’s weapons programs.”  Up till now, who could blame the reporters for skewing information at the time? To go against the current would cause one to question your patriotism.  Thus, no one would ask the tough questions, and if you pushed to hard you would not be called on during press conferences.

       Massing makes an interesting point that, “US news organizations gave Americans the war they thought they wanted to see.” It’s true. We Americans can take action a movie packed with violence and bloodshed but when it comes to actuality censorship is a must. Why is that? Massing mentions often times watching the BBC and Middle Eastern news channels because they reported everything (even the most graphic images of the war) they were not scared to ask the tough questions unlike American reporters because they were, “too sympathetic to the administration,” which compromised their journalism. It also didn’t help that US reporters were ignorant of the Arabic language, customs, religion, and region.

       Michael Massing leaves you feeling as if the war in Iraq has done more harm than good by displaying many articles of reporters fabricating and manipulating the events occurring in the war with Iraq (sometimes even not being mentioned at all a.k.a Times front headline stories). 

Mass Media Business

       I’ve come to realize, or maybe have always subconsciously known, that mass media is everywhere. You cannot avoid it you cannot escape it. Why? Because unless your both death and blind there will always be ways the media will creep into our consumer minds and feed our never-ending wants.  How do “they” continue to control our psyche? Ads. Advertising agencies spend millions each year to buy our minds. Yet, we as consumers keep falling into their carefully researched traps. All ads try to appear to some social niche or groups of people with the ideal that the particular product they are selling is somehow relatable to that particular group. However, it’s a shame that advertising agencies will openly use stereotypes to sell a product. Why? Because the cooperate world is full of predominately wealthy white males who have either established or inherited large media cooperations (a.k.a Murdoch and Disney among the many), so the majority of their views on society is bias but is backed by large bills MONEY. And money travels far. For instance, I do not think M. Night Shyamalan, an Indian film director, would have appreciated a title with a racial slur as Slumdog. But Danny Boyle, an English film director, obviously did not mind and many went out to see the movie regardless of its controversial title. So, is media and advertising the one to blame for all the prejudices and racism in the world? No. Although, I feel it definitely helps to continue such cruel practices. However, I find it funny that on one hand the media uses stereotypes to sell products but on the other will use public relations to promote positive images. But sometimes a negative image of a person results in positive feedback, and then again it could backlash. Like Paris Hilton, no one would have ever known who she was if her sex tape didn’t reach the masses. But with much PR (public relation), she is now her own commodity making millions upon her billions as an heiress. In the end, the mass media business is one big contradiction after another.