In these mini videos, Frontline shows how the news which was once the only reliable source of news that people turned to every evening is now evolving with the shift in technological advances. With a younger audience, who have been raised in a world that allows them to access news whenever and however they want, it has changed the way news stations report the news. Initially, news programs were mandated by the government, but with the forth coming of 60 Minutes, news stations began to realize they could make a profit from these programs. After that, profit became everything. Today, news stations are changing the topics they are reporting on in order to increase their revenue. It is being done in many ways, but the most common is through disguising entertainment as news.
As a Communication Major, and being a part of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, I have been taught about how Murrow reported stories and what made them so intriguing to the audience he was talking to. I understand that technology is changing the way people search for information, but I do not think that factual news happening in this world should be sacrificed for a profit. I think that the idea of information snacking is a difficult battle to fight because I know that I am guilty of information snacking as well. I do like 60 Minutes acceptance of the concept and the way they have tried to combat it by giving 2-3 minutes of information to ensure viewers are receiving a more "rich" experience.
It was interesting to hear the founder of the Daily Kos talk about how people today are more educated and have been taught to take initiative and no longer want to be standby as things happen and no longer want to be just consumers. This makes me wonder, if higher education is to blame for the decline in newspaper sales and the increase of participation with the decrease in audience. With anyone being able to post things to the internet, anyone with a laptop can become a reporter. This is a scary thought considering the information and topics they are covering may contain sensitive information that requires thorough research and if people are taking these unaccredited sites as fact, there becomes this problem of how to know what is true and what is not.
One of the people Frontline interviewed talked about how anyone with a cell phone and a computer can be a reporter. Although this may sound a little strange he continues to say that if people are coming up with new ideas or taking a picture of something they see on the street that no one else has talked about, and they do it accurately, fully and fairly, it becomes journalism. There is a fine line between people who are just talking and people who are reporting and it is defined by the information that is presented and the research, and time and ethics that have gone into preparing that particular news story. I think that in order to be sure that a news story is fact, it is best to research it on your own. Even major broadcast stations such as CNN and NBC, make mistakes sometimes and if people don't learn to ask questions then the truth will become obscure.
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