Show Anna Nicole Smith Birthing medias media's decline Joseph W. W Bateman Bateman Bateman Bate- Bate man Music Reporter Who The seemingly simple question and sometime- sometime joke has captivated the nation regarding Anna Nicole Smiths Smith's baby Unfortunately it wasn't a joke and it was the question burning through the minds of every red-blooded red American further proof of the decline of our once beloved and famed media First off thanks to the incessant nearly to minute-to- minute coverage courtesy of mainstream media outlets we can all utter a collective sigh that this drama has been resolved Thankfully we can all now return to our normal lives However with the identity of baby true father revealed several unanswered questions remain How did the paternity of one child morph from a matter between two parties into an international affair Weren't there more pressing matters that deserved the nations nation's attention Simply put Im I'm ashamed that I know how this drama played out To make matters worse I watched the announcement live which only darkens my already red face but Im I'm sure the majority of Americans share my shame The real reality ity is that we are the victims victims o of a media establishment that places emphasis on creating news rather then reporting it As a student journalist this makes my stomach uneasy and puts me at odds with my future industry Upon graduation I wonder Will I be assigned to cover some banal pointless story that provides more entertainment than education Will I continue to perpetrate the ruse of disguising infotainment as news I certainly hope not As a student and member of the public my rage glows even brighter From CNN to Fox no matter what mainstream media outlet is chosen the results were disturbingly similar These so-called so reputable news organizations chose to give what seemed like to minute-to-minute updates despite what little new information was made available Occasionally networks would break into live feeds outside the courtroom court courtroom courtroom room interviews with the parties and even legal experts weighing in Turning off the TV didn't help either logging onto my computer I discovered that the paternity battle had made it to the Web as the top story Saturation is the only word to describe the ongoing coverage Ongoing coverage of a trite event is one way to destroy the storied tradition the news has earned in this country From exposing government fraud and wasteful spending the media is thought of as a watchdog Some even refer to the media as the fourth branch of the government Without the media our government could make back room deals with little knowledge by the general public Unfortunately mainstream media failed to live up to this high standard and now its image is severely tarnished Wh i Ie network executives ves were busy tripping over each other to get the smallest tidbit of new information a bombshell of a story was announced The Pentagon announced that troops would be forced to serve 15 months instead of the expected 12 months Even military officers saw the absurdity of this new policy Retired Gen William Nash said These soldiers have paid the price for this policy for four years Now they are being given an additional burden to bear and it will be a cause of concern for the soldiers and even for the families In addition a Time investigation revealed some new recruits are not getting the usual intensive week four-week course that deals specifically on combat in Iraq Instead recruits are given a rate cut-rate version that spans 10 days which is the same length as the course that teaches finer points of table service Am I the only one that sees the hypocrisy We have an administration that hides behind the Support Our Troops banner yet repeatedly fails to keep promises and properly train and protect them And yet the media chooses to give priority broadcast to the custody of a former fonner Playmates Playmate's baby Where is the public outrage and scorn Where are the demands for advertisers to pull their support for this ridiculous facade labeled as news I Unfortunately unless the public speaks up and hands repercussions to these networks whether by demanding advertisers pull pun support or simply by turning off the TV our once honored media will continue to fall faIl much like the to sitcom-to-reality-based programming a la Flavor of Love |