One of my pet gripes is the corrosive effect that the media exercises over human behaviour. There are some excellent exceptions of course, but on the whole, the decline in civil values and the increase in selfish, shallow and mendacious lifestyles is at least partly attributable to the manner in which media outlets operate. I know 'media' is a vast area to canvas, and a huge target to take aim at. But such a large segment (meaning TV, radio, newsstand and internet delivered) aims at such a low denominator in terms of content that its hard not to lump everyone in.
Even my usual online paper, the Sydney Morning Herald, dumbs down for its internet audience, with pathetic 'stories' about celebrities, tabloid-style pieces concerning gruesome murders or intrusive forays into the private lives of individuals, or sex-sells lifestyle journalism, whatever that is. And this is a quality flagship newspaper in real life!
Consumer capitalism might have something do with it. Perhaps the decline of morally authoritative voices, such as the church used to have, is another reason for what now seems a fait accompli. I don't know about you, but I don't want to hear about Miss Hilton or Tom Cruise or who bonked who or the latest on the mile-high club. By all means, read about this trash in the circles that usually publish it (formerly low-brow magazines) but, do we have to have it our faces, on our national news, right there on our laps? I don't think so. What do you think?
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