News?

I'm mad at the "news". Mad in the disgusted sense that an old person has toward a young, enthusiastic, utterly naive, irresponsible, single minded, radical. You just wish they'd sit down and shut up - even if you agree with them. They are just so smug and full of themselves.

I'm really disgruntled over the "real person" interviews ubiquitously interspersed through the cause or sensational crisis reports of the day. Yesterday morning it was the single of mother of two who has to resort to a food bank for the first time to make ends meet. She has a "real job" so she's too affluent to qualify for government assistance. (collective ohhhhh) Her family would go hungry if she didn't demean herself and join the local give-away....or two. (sniff, sniff, blow nose) Bad, bad government for not providing for this unfortunate woman and her family. Bad, bad, bad. Bad President for creating this awful economic downturn. (boo, boo, hisssss) Poor, pathetic mother. Sad, deprived children. (sobbing)

I, personally, am all in favor of food banks and think that people in need should take advantage of them. I think this mother should take advantage of this wonderful, philanthropic, privately run, charitable enterprise. This could have been a positive story. This mother could have said how grateful she was for the community support. She could be an example of the responsible use of charity. An encouragement to others who are "struggling". How proud she should be for working hard to provide for her family instead of relying on government handouts. And, how gratified the people who supply and staff this resource should feel for being able to help.

But, no. Let's just put the worst possible spin on this situation in order to make a point. Is this even journalism? I'm thinking more along the lines of emotional blackmailing propaganda....

Ok, now we come to the report on teen pregnancy. This is not good. Does anyone disagree? Case study: A school somewhere (could be any one of any number across the U.S.) has a higher than normal percentage of high school girls that are "with child". Camera shot of a 30 something woman. Sound bite: "Some of these girls aren't even seniors, they're under 18. They can't even buy their own cigarettes, and they're having babies." I don't even know the ultimate point of this story. My head swiveled so quickly I got one of those shooting pains right up the back and until it finally subsided and I stopped choking on the coffee I had spewed out in my absolute incredulous disbelief, they were into the weather. "...they're under 18. They can't even buy their own cigarettes, and they're having babies." Let's break this down. And remember, I'm fully aware that this does not apply to every pregnant girl in this school.
1. Underage girls smoke.
2. Underage girls smoke and they are pregnant.
3. They are underage so they cannot legally buy cigarettes.
4. Someone that is legal is buying underage, pregnant girls cigarettes. And these girls are smoking them.
5. How stupid is this woman for using this analogy? And, if she's a parent of one of these girls......

Do I have to rant on? Do you see how stupefied I am? Is this a credible person expressing a credible opinion on an incredibly complex and troubling social problem? Understanding that they are talking about children having children, the responsible, unbiased, news media couldn't have found a better spokes person? Even a biased spokesperson with an ounce of sense?

Ok, and one more before I go...how incredibly insensitive is it to interview parents that have just lost children, children whose parents have been killed, pregnant women whose husbands have died, grieving families who have lost everything... Do people really tune in to specifically watch this, or do we just get sucked in while waiting for the local traffic reports?