It's hard to realize the truth behind the motives of the media until someone else points them out. I like to think of myself as a relatively observant person, yet I still frequently find myself astounded at the times when I realize just how blind I can be to the inner workings and real intentions of media corporations. This was precisely the feeling I felt after reading the arguments made in Matthew McAllister's article "Television News Plugola and the Last Episode of Seinfeld".
I’ve always been somewhat savvy to the idea of media plugging future media content within existing programming. However, one thing had never seriously fazed me until I recently read about it: The idea of news broadcasting covering a story solely for the promotional value inherent in it. Having grown up in a household where entertainment news coverage simply existed as a regular staple of the news media we consumed, I was never one to think on what it meant for the news to be promoting a piece of entertainment media or writing about the stars that were involved in it.
This is precisely where the problem with the news doing so resides; that people don’t realize the reasons why a news outlet is promoting such things. In McAllister’s essay, he discusses the ways in which NBC’s promotion of the last episode of their series ‘Seinfeld’, contributed such a hyped level of anticipation as to attract as many viewers as possible. But as to what end? Profit.
It is in the profit driven state of mind that networks meant to provide news coverage do the most damage to their viewers. By promoting entertainment for the sake of profit and negating other news coverage for a lack of viewer interest, news media outlets in essence work to create a society weaned entirely on uninformed and nearly mindless content. It is from this that I have to wonder, as an someone who figured themselves for having a good handle on the motives of the media, where does that leave those who have no concern at all in such things? In short, an interest solely in profit by media conglomerates breeds a society of uninterested and self involved citizens; citizens that follow nothing but entertainment. Therefore, when Seinfeld takes precedence over international tribulation and debate, a possibility for a truly active democracy becomes nearly impossible.
A democracy thrives on the informed contributions of it's citizens. The problem today, however, resides in a lack of information to be had.
- Brady Ibanez
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