Five Things You Should Know About The Media

At times, you have to ask yourself if the media is reporting the news, shaping the news, or creating the news.  Unfortunately today, I think the last two are far more common than the first.  With than in mind, here are five things you should know about the media:

1. Despite their claims otherwise, the media is biased – all you have to do is look at election coverage to see this.  Have you stopped to ask yourself why none of the questions being asked today about the President were asked three months ago?
2. The “big three” networks are virtually irrelevant in the news business – cable runs the show.  CNN, FoxNews, and the like are the big players in the news market today.
3. Only crises involving attractive people are newsworthy – if all you do is watch the news programs, the only people who ever disappear are young, attractive people.  Apparently, no one over forty with bad teeth and a few pounds overweight is ever the victim of a crime.
4. The media tells you what they want, not necessarily the facts – this is not new.  Walter Cronkite takes great pride in his undermining the efforts in Vietnam.  George Orwell suggested this as far back as his novel, 1984.
5. Bad news outsells good news – people say all the time, “I don’t watch the news.  It’s too depressing.”  There is a lot of good stuff in life that goes unreported.  The Bible says, “Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!  Each day proclaim the good news that he saves” (1 Chronicles 16:23, NLT).  There is some great news in this world.  God can make a difference in your.  He forgives our sin.  He gives us peace and purpose.  He enables us to live for Him.