You want to talk about Ethics!

Tragedies occur everywhere and everyone has to try move on past it. In Valley City, we have been struck with two disasters right after one another. I do not want to get into details on either of them because they are not my place, but there is one thing about these events that has gained attention. If you were in Comm 200--Intro to Media Writing, you remember discussing journalistic ethics and behavior.



What is right and what is wrong? Who allows the media to pick and chose what goes in a newspaper and what gets broadcasted on air? Why is it that only a select few have this right and everyone else has to endure what they decide is ethical?



If you do not know what I am talking about, Sara Gullickson, an 18-year-old from Spirtwood, North Dakota, was submerged in her car for a half hour before being rescued. It was the next day that the article hit the times record, with a picture of Gullickson lying unconsciously on a gurney. What type of newspaper would do this? I later found out that this is done all the time in bigger cities, such as New York, Chicago, or L.A., but in a community where every face is recognizable, then this is preposterous.



Of course, this raised a cry of ethics. The T.R. tried to defend itself by saying that it was only trying to show how fast the rescue squad could work, but there are better ways to show this and leave an unconscious girl aside. It was not illegal, but I had never seen anything more wrong.



The next week, another tragedy struck, and this one hit much closer to me than Gullickson. A very close family friend was found dead in her house, at the age of 15. Jenna Diemert was a fun-loving girl and always wore a smile on her face. The moment I heard of her death, I sank into such a state of shock; I accused the person who had told me of lying and playing a horrible May 8th joke.



Where will the media take this? There is way more to this story, involving the type of death and where she was found? Is this the type of information that is allowed to be placed in a newspaper? If a reporter can try to justify an unconcious girl, how will they try to justify this?



It all comes down to what is right and what is wrong? Ethics, and where do certain people stand? I do not think either of these instances should gain that much publicity simply because they are personal, family affairs. With Gullickson, she is still in the news because of her recovery and that is different, but the photograph they used on the FRONT PAGE was sick.



With Diemert, there are already so many rumors going around and people trying to convince everyone else of what happened, that I do not even want to think of how the media will affect this. Since when did a family event become elligible for public endorsement?


Since this is my last post for class, I want to close with something I read by Oscar Wilde:

“Its failings notwithstanding, there is much to be said in favor of journalism in that by giving us the opinion of the uneducated, it keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community.”

That's all folks....

Who Better To Save The World Than A....

HERO!

Or multiple, since the show phenomenon is entitled Heroes. That's right, the NBC show that captivated the world and definitely caught my attention to the point of obsession (and everyone knows it). For those who have seen the show, you will agree that it is amazing; and for those who have not, I urge you to start. Once you get hooked, you will not be able to stop. *You will see where I am going with this as soon as you reach the end of my blog. I decided to use a creative attention getter to get your attention. HAHA*

Okay, so, in this show, normal people all over the world discover they have special abilities. Take for instance, Claire (played by Hayden Panattierre) who cannot be hurt, harmed, injured, or, for lack of a better term, die at all in the show! She is joined by Peter Petrelli (played by Milo Ventimiglia) who has the ability to absorb other people abilities and pass them as his own. I could go on about the cast, but you get the idea. Basically, it becomes a battle between good and evil, as many science-fiction shows are. But what really draws the attention of so many are the visual effects and the way the story continues, each web interweaving. The real battle takes place with every hero coming in contact in ways that you would never expect.

So where am I going with this? Isn't it obvious already? It is about obsession. The way the media and entertainment industry can bring people to a point where they can't miss the next episode. It happens all the time with baseball or basketball; it's just a different market doing the work. And the kicker is that these industries know exactly what they're doing and know how to do it well.

For example, when the Heroes finale was on, is was Monday, April 27th. I was in my room, and suddenly my mom came in to tell me that I had another neice. Instead of being excited, I told her to get out. My show was on! I know that I may have gone to an extreme here, but I do not think I was the only one this has happened to while watching a show. The way the media is involved with this is through the advertisements and announcements telling people to buy and buy and buy all the stuff that deals with the show. Season packages and desktop wallpapers are all purchased by people because THE MEDIA has told them to do it. And who wouldn't listen to the media. It is very convincing!

If you agree, you will understand where I coming from on this. Although my example was trivial, because, I can safely say that I know people who are the exact same way about their favorite team, or favorite star. Even if the show they watch is an awards show or a movie, it is the media that draws people in and makes them WANT to watch.

If you have a show you cannot miss, think about it? What makes you watch it? Your subconscious or a reminder on the television saying that it is coming up. How about a billboard or a annoucnement in the paper. It's just one of the many ways the Entertainment Industry and the Media come together for a common good.

**One more quick thing: Watch for Season Five of Heroes coming to NBC soon!