IS NEWS DEAD?

IS NEWS DEAD?

I’m convinced it is. Or, at least, after watching the hysterical reaction to a young woman’s recent Facebook posting, I’m convinced it’s on its death-bed.

I’ve spoken often, in this space about our preoccupation with “news” stories about the rich-and-famous…specifically, rich-and-famous athletes and movie stars and born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-their-mouths who get drunk, do drugs, get in brawls (often with their own spouses), and do a host of other really-unimportant things that somehow manage to become “news” stories. But the transformation of this recent Facebook posting into “news,” in my opinion, took the cake.

The Facebook posting to which I’m referring, of course, is the one by the young Israeli former-soldier who posted a photo of herself posing in front of a few blindfolded Palestinian prisoners.

Yes, the photo was a stupid decision by a young woman who obviously had no clue about the sensitivities involved, both human and political. Yes, the photo was offensive. Yes, it was no doubt humiliating to the prisoners. And – for sure – it does show the corrupting influence of an occupation on at least one “occupier” – if not THE “occupier.” (Although, as some have pointed out, she did not then turn around and chop off the heads of her prisoners after taking the photo, as some Islamo-terrorist groups have done.)

But, really…this is news?? This former soldier posted some disturbing photos on Facebook. She wasn’t representing her government. She wasn’t even representing her army – whose officers are justifiably pissed off at her. But have you seen any of the other stuff that young people post on Facebook? And – if you have two daughters on the site, as I do – you realize that all those initials posted by young people are actually curse-words (such as “wtf” – “What the f____k”)? You realize, as well, that the site has plenty of very suggestive photos by young women. And plenty of tasteless, inappropriate photos and comments by young men.

What is real news? Well, let’s see. Thirty million Pakistanis are homeless. The Federal budget is out of control. The war in Afghanistan is still raging (and most likely will continue to rage indefinitely). The recession is still hovering over our lives like a nightmare. Iraq, which has taken seven-and-a-half years and thousands of lives, seems anything but stable. More people lose their jobs every day. Any semblance of reasoned political discussion in our country has turned into screaming and shouting. And our political processes seem sorely corrupt. This is news! Not the social-media posting of an immature, insensitive young woman.

If this is what our “news” is coming to because of the electronic/viral influence, I’m wondering if we should really let the good ole newspaper – and the traditional ways of reporting news - die out.

Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
www.winstoncommunications.com
steve@winstoncommunications.com