BREAKING NEWS

Have our ever growing appetite for news finally driven news media off its brink?

Is it solely their responsibility for what had happened?

  With the world in shock and mourn over such a shocking massacre in Norway, which left 76 dead, one often misses the story behind the story which essentially had been how the media had been reacting to this incident. At first glance, they seem to be business as usual. However, many news channels and print media had spread the assumption that this was the work of Muslim extremists linked to Al Qaeda, only to find themselves reeling with the great error and shock upon the realization that it was a Christian extremist, Anders Breivik, who had been the mastermind behind the attacks, there was an unseen reflection among many, had our media gone too far with their stereotypical view about Muslims today?

 

  It is not exaggerated to say the least that many people today have a “fear” of Muslims. The 9-ll incident in America, the London Underground Bombings in 2004, and many more terrorist acts by Muslim Extremists had made the world almost had a “Muslim-Phobia”, to say the least. However, there are more people responsible for such a discriminatory act in the media today, for without our needs, the media will not cater.

 

  The media today had become a 24-hour network. All over the world, news channels have became quick-paced as the world is suddenly connected so quickly with so much news flooding in. Thus, as the news keep on coming, it is inevitable that news channels take the quickest and easiest way out. The first news that appear, the first information and expert they can find, they will say it out. This is why all over the world, from CNN to the Wall Street Journal, it is a vicious cycle. For when news start rushing in, news outlets turn to their inferences for answers and jump at the first information they get, for example, in the video from the unknown source at the New York Times, and get in so-called experts to discuss about this, only to get their greatest embarrassment when they were proven wrong later. For news outlets have to provide news first-hand, they will undeniably have to go to such drastic measures and assumptions, which breaks their ethics, which is the nee to be secular and providing honest information, for the news media’s influence is great and widespread, and their actions could very well affect many people’s opinions of Muslims irreversibly. Thus, even when they realized the truth, when many news channels and newspapers quietly changed their terms from Muslim “terrorists” to Christian “extremists”, instead of publicly apologizing they had indirectly implied their racism and dishonesty, and they should reflect on why they had became so desperate.

  However, it brings us to the next question too. If the media have to have a responsibility, do we, the viewers too need to foot the bill? For we as viewers had demanded news first-hand with our voracious appetite for news today, which had driven news media to get news first hand, without checking its sources. We want juicy news and we want to know more, thus the need to get interesting tidbits of information arises, like the Muslims bombing Norway, and the subsequent false truths that many proclaimed experts called by the news channels said later. Our decreasing attention span and our inability had made the news channel do so, for they cater to us, and if we not approve of their actions, will they do so? Thus, we as viewers have a huge role as an incentive for the news media.

    The introduction of many new ways to get information, Social Media, the internet, live conversations and discussions had made our information first hand, but not necessarily accurate. In this case, the New York Times wrote about a source from a forum, claimed that a unknown Muslim extremist group did it, causing a domino effect. It had become harder to decipher which is true and what is not in the media today, due to the many sources of information. However, then the media and we viewers do have to take the initiative to verify and confirm these before disseminating it others.

   With that, it can be concluded that the reasons for the stereotypical event that had happened in the news media. As Europe, especially Norway reflects on what had gone wrong and goes into mourn, we too as viewers and the news media have to evaluate ourselves and reflect on our actions, so as not to cause unnecessary allegations and discrimination to others in future.