Mainstream media grew up in the, 19th and 20th century. In the 19th century it grew up around the invention and industrialisation of the printing press. Alongside this was the telegraph which allowed the transmission of information across an electrical wire. Allowing individual people to set up companies to quickly and easy distribute information, news and advertising in a printed form. With leaflets, newspapers and posters. Instead of just having royal proclamations announcing to the masses. Anyone and everyone who had access to a printing press, which was a piece of carved metal or wood. Some ink and strong pressing mechanism to attach the ink to a piece of paper. Press the ink, print the articles and hope somebody would pay money in order to read the articles. Fortunately many did and so an industry was born.
It has grown from there into the media industries that we see today.
Much has been written about how certain regimes within human society attempt to control this mechanism. The media moguls able to manipulate public opinion. Create tensions between the leadership and the masses. Causing revolutions. Such as what happened during the reformation in europe. Where the emergence of a protestant church began to spread from Germany to most of western europe and northern america. This replaced in a large extent the Catholic church as well as other spiritual practices that had previously dominated throughout the centuries before.
In the 20th century the invention of radio and television took the distribution of information, news and media into the hands of new organisations. Able to build massive transmitter towers. They could beam the information directly into peoples homes, without them needing to visit a news stand.
Bringing presenters that would present the latest news into the lives of many. Shocking people with events happening around the world. News of riots and marches on the streets. Natural disasters. Human tragedies. Bringing tears to the eyes of many more people than had ever been before.
In the 21st century the distribution of news became easier than ever and many more news gathering organisations can be found online.
One of things that drives me to write about the media is their obsession with removing those in charge.
The reporter has a duty of care towards the people they report on. They often present critics, journalists and experts who have no experience of running a business, government department, agency or otherwise. They may have studied at University or College. Give analysis and form organisations to provide detailed analysis of events. We listen, digest and contemplate their questions and often wonder and evaluate the responses. Answers often cut short, as they move onto the next segment, topic, video or trailer montage.
They often lack respect for those answering the questions. Often belittling and even name calling the ones in charge. It is an aspect of journalism that turns one off. We tune in or read to gather information about what is happening in the world and end up wondering about the journalists, reporters, correspondents who often treat the respondent to the questioning with derision rather than the respect they deserve.
Often to the point where we lose track of the events we were trying to gather information.
One of the most frustrating things about reading, watching, or listening to much of today's journalism is the relentless focus on the worst aspects of society. News organizations fill our eyes and ears with crime, conflict, corruption, and outrage. They often search far and wide to find the most shocking examples of human behaviour, then devote endless coverage to discussing what should be done about it.
While acts of kindness, generosity, and courage are occasionally reported, they are vastly outnumbered by stories of wrongdoing and dysfunction. This creates a deeply misleading impression of the world.
The reality is that most people are not bad. The overwhelming majority of people go about their lives peacefully, honestly, and cooperatively. Truly malicious individuals are rare. Yet the picture presented by much of the news suggests the opposite—that society is filled with dangerous, selfish, or immoral people. In doing so, journalism often magnifies the exception and obscures the rule.
The result is a distorted view of reality. People are exposed to a constant stream of negative stories and are encouraged to believe that society is in a state of perpetual crisis. Good people and positive developments receive far less attention because they are considered less newsworthy.
Journalists are highly trained in identifying and drawing attention to problems. They know how to capture attention with alarming headlines and emotionally charged stories. Too often, however, facts become entangled with speculation, commentary, and opinion. The audience is drawn in by the latest outrage, pays for the coverage, and is then directed to the next shocking headline.
A healthy society should be aware of its problems, but it should also have an accurate understanding of itself. When the focus falls almost exclusively on the bad, the public is left with a picture of the world that is far darker than reality. The world is not full of bad people. It is full of good people whose everyday decency rarely makes the news.
One thing I should add is that I am not attacking investigative journalism in my critic of mainstream media. Investigative journalism gives valuable insights that we would not otherwise have regarding what goes on, It is a particular aspect of journalism that is always valuable and fascinating, often taking time to fully digest.