The Media and YOU

So just a few nights ago I got really bored and decided to update myself on what’s going on in the world by turning on the news. That was possibly the worst idea I have ever had.

The first story that came on didn’t even give me any information on current events. The title of the report was, “Escalators and how they can kill you and your family.” That story had to be the most depressing, horrifying, ridiculous tone I had ever heard. In a nutshell, the anchorwoman spent almost fifteen minutes talking about how easy it was for a person to get killed while on an escalator. Here is a list of the dangers:

1. You can get your shoelace caught, fall, have a concussion, and DIE.

2. You can get easily shot if a crazy person runs around the mall with a gun. An escalator is not like an elevator you know; it doesn’t have any walls to protect you. (Not that elevators are built to be bulletproof anyway, but whatever)

3. What if you slip on garbage getting onto an escalator? Better watch where your going! Each step you take brings you closer to death!

4. Imagine going down an escalator and someone is holding something big and heavy, they can drop it on you. Then what? No one can help you!

5. I think you got the point.

This report made me realize that I was never going to get any piece of viable, intelligent information from this news show. As I sat and reluctantly watched this program, I wondered what the motives of the media really are.

Is the media available to us in order to keep us updated, or to scare us? This particular program was obviously propaganda. That is, propaganda meant to control the average American and how they transport themselves and products while shopping. (Because I guess that’s a worthy habit to control… shopping?) But this news report makes me wonder what other information I gather everyday is propaganda. Is the election propaganda? The war in Iraq? Think about it.