Turning it Off

Topical Tuesday

Yesterday, I wanted to take on the media for Topical Tuesday.  News  (I use that word loosely) about the Casey Anthony trial was everywhere.     The media was hell bent on capitalizing on all the emotions this case incites in the public.  The news has been doing this for years.   When one of the news shows featured a segment on what Casey Anthony's favorite TV shows are I'd had enough.   Or did I?

Sadly, I continued to watch.  Forming my own strong opinion about the case, the media handling of it, and the legal system, I'd played right into the advertisers hands.  It's really all about the advertisers.   All these shows compete to win the most viewers and the highest ratings.  The most viewers and highest ratings allow the networks to charge the highest costs to their advertisers.  The advertisers want the most bang for their buck.  This uneasy partnership influences what and how "news" is presented.  Don't discount the entertainment value of the news.  The facts are used to serve it.  If you doubt me ask yourself this: 

How does knowing Casey Anthony's favorite TV shows have anything to do with the loss of a little girl?  Did the grandfather have an affair with a woman during the search for Caley?  Is the grandmother brokering a deal with the media that will earn her a lot of money?  Are any of these things our business?  Do they really matter?

All these things serve to ignite an emotionally volatile public who is being manipulated by how the news is presented and what the "news" decides to present.  Educating the public about the laws regarding reasonable doubt, and the general legal process that while flawed is what keeps us from anarchy and protects all of us from vigilante justice, is startlingly absent from the reporting.

While I was preparing to take aim and climb on top of a soap box, I realized that I was neglecting the one thing I could do that would make an impact.  I was still watching.  I needed to turn it off or at least turn the channel.   There is an unusual, white-robed guy on cable access who sits cross legged and speaks of peace.  He is worth watching, at least for a minute or two.

By watching the mess even to criticize the coverage that is being passed off as news, I was compliant.  Only by refusing to watch, to exercise my right to change the channel in my mind and my life, could I discover the power I possess.