Nick has my vote … the “news” sucks
Civics is decidedly out of fashion in the high-school classroom, a quaint throwback superseded by courses in technology. As teachers scramble to “teach to the test,” civics is increasingly relegated to after-school clubs and geeky graduation prizes. Somehow my students sailed through high-school courses in government and social studies without acquiring the habit of keeping abreast of national and international events. What little they know of such matters they have absorbed through popular culture — song lyrics, parody, and comedy. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart is as close as many dare get to actual news.Hey there Ted Gup, “journalism” professor. Here’s the sad truth: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” is as close as there is to actual news.
Would you rather your students turn on CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC to hear about the latest missing white woman? Or find out about how one of our presidential candidates knows someone who holds nontraditional views?
How about the media coverage in the runup to the Iraq war? Should they go look at that?
I hold the opposite view. In order for citizens to be accurately informed, they need to turn off the news. Then they should turn on the internet. Sure, it takes more time to research the claims you read on the internet, but it’s the only way for us to get some semblance of the truth.
Our generation, and the one just after us, has come to greatly distrust the news, as they should. The corporate media has just as much a lust for power as the politicians and religious leaders. If a satirical show is the best way to reach people, great. Satire worked just fine for Ben Franklin and John Adams.
