Media dog days

I follow local and national news stories daily by scanning the internet, television, and reading blogs. I like to be informed about what goes on locally and around the world. I am always seeking out the most interesting stories. Some of the hottest topics are cannon-fodder for the water cooler while others are deemed more relevant for dinner table conversation. Reviewing different news stories is like taking a trip to a local sandwich shop. You select the ingredients you want on your sandwich and ignore the rest. 

I do the same with the news; I read the most interesting stories and ignore the irrelevant ones. While reviewing different new stories, I always wonder what separates a newsworthy story from a non-newsworthy one. President Obama becoming the first African American president was definitely newsworthy while Jessica Simpson’s weight gain isn't. If the average person gains a few pounds, it won’t make the evening news...but an overweight celebrity is always a headline grabber. So what is the best ingredient in a newsworthy story? Is it something that requires shock value? I am not even sure if there is anything in the news that still has shock value. 

There was a recent news story about a group of people who created a sport which involved pit bulls and defenseless pigs. Like any other popular sport, there were spectators and a concession stand. You could enjoy a beer and a sandwich while watching some helpless animal get maimed. I was surprised…not shocked. Former NFL player, Michael Vick, brought animal cruelty into our homes with endless press coverage of him tormenting and killing dogs for sport. 

What's most shocking is how people can easily stand by and watch an innocent animal suffer or be killed without blinking. Before the popularity of twenty-four hour news channels and the Internet, I can remember being appalled by: cruelty to animals, teachers having sex with students, and corporate executives looting their companies while screwing over their employees. If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, these stories were shocking. 

Today’s citizen has become desensitized to acts of cruelty and violence that once shocked many of us. We are no longer surprised about headlines describing inhumanity, cruelty, and evil. We accept these practices and continue on with our lives. I have known people who have opted not to have children because they do not want to raise a child in today’s society. The thinking is logical; they have made a personal choice to keep an unborn child from becoming a potential news headline.