Rachel Stewart has had some time out with the flu (sorry to hear it!). It has left her with time to reflect:
…Like many folk I have become increasingly dispirited at the new world media. Clickbait, endless and easy crime stories, entertainment news disguised as meaningful when it isn’t. The list of horrors is endless.
Our two nightly news channels have, in recent years, morphed into something only slightly resembling journalism. I have spent so many nights jaw dropped over the choice of lead, or to what lengths a self-obsessed political journalist will go to insert themselves into the story of the day.
The obsession with crime astounds me, and the laziness of that reportage is obvious. Tourists to New Zealand often comment how unsafe they feel here but only after they’ve happened to catch a news bulletin. The reality is that we are fixated on crime to the detriment of important news.
Look at the structure of the news and weep. The first segment is invariably New Zealand news, and sometimes unashamedly led by a sporting story – this despite a third of the news being designated to sport anyway.
The second segment goes offshore and generally spends a tiny amount of time on large, important global stories – no doubt thinking we are too thick or too parochial to want anything more in-depth. A self-fulfilling prophecy if ever I’ve seen one.
Also, and too often for comfort, the reporter finds a Kiwi somehow tenuously connected to the major, offshore story. The Kiwi connection always makes me squirm. You?
Then comes sport. Men’s sport dominates because “people just aren’t interested in girl’s sport”. Well, of course, if you never really see any then that becomes true too.
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Sadly, changing channels won’t alter this mind-numbing, soul-devouring format. For a slightly more white, smug and smarmy feel just stay tuned to our state broadcaster.
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Print media has overtly degenerated too. However, since you’re reading me within it right now I’ll say a bit less about that. What I will say is that what passes for journalism on some news sites is beyond comprehension. Literally and figuratively. …
Go read the whole piece – profoundly depressing.
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