Mystery - Murder by Media

The fact of the matter is that Princess Diana is dead because of the media. She is not the only one whose life has been taken or destroyed in other ways by the media. Of course, the media didn’t want the Princess to be dead. But they were hungry for what she hadâ€"her personal lifeâ€"and they paid big money to the paparazzi for photos of Diane, especially if she was making love on the beach. Right now we are watching the destruction of Paris Hilton, a 26-year-old raised in a luxury hotel with her sister in New York City. Paris is immature, perhaps a spoiled brat, and she is being destroyed by the media. Now, I know. The media believes all of her problems are brought on by herself. If she didn’t want to be clobbered by the media, she should not have strived to become a celebrity. Right now the media is on Jail Watch. They are probably hoping that poor (but rich) Paris will kill herself. That would create another media frenzy like the death of Anna Nicole Smith, Marilyn Monroe, and Jane Mansfield. Or perhaps it will be revealed that she is having withdrawal problems from drugs and alcohol. What could be juicer than that? They are still stalking Anna Nicole s child. Television media continues to bring in experts and so-called experts to comment on what should be news trivia. CNN is not a news channel as much as it is a gossip channel creating celebrity problem specials out of thin air. These experts are often unsympathetic and downright cruel. I can hardly phantom what Paris Hilton’s parents and sister are going through at this time. CNN is absolutely heartless and the other news channels are not far behind. They create human suffering on private citizens. Why? Because that raises there ratings which increases advertising revenue. They are not in the news business, they are in the money-making business. Often the news channels will take a Joe Blow or Mary Doe and change him or her into a celebrity overnight that they can harass to death until every last misconception about the person has been thoroughly exhausted. Because of the media, which includes print media too, celebrities are tract down by weirdos and require court protection. Many have to hire body guards at great expense. Yes, celebrities seek publicityâ€"good or badâ€"to keep them in the public eye. (It is like Philip Morris® Company that maintains brand name recognition by telling people how to find help to quit smoking. That way, they sidestep the ban on cigarette advertising on television. Who are they trying to kid? Only the FCC.) Actors are persecuted by the media because of their profession. The Media is the Crow that pesters the Owl that would like to have some privacy. If you are an engineer or baker, the media leaves you aloneâ€"unless you stub your toe. What irks me is that you can not get the world news in the United States on television. While Paris Hilton is getting days of coverage, important world events are not even covered. Any celebrity news will knock the President of the United States or the war in Iraq off the air. It happens every day. At one time I was informed on world events. It was because I traveled frequently. I could flip on the television in London or Munich or Tokyo and get world news. (The media in the United States is not interested whatsoever in world news that does not directly involve United States citizens.) During the Bush War I, I had to use my shortwave radio to find out what was really going on in Kuwait. Did you know that other countries besides the United States were there carrying out major operations ? Did you know that news about our own operations was not reported. The news services in the United States are pathetic. Prime time television news is a 30 minute program with numerous commercial interruptions. There is no time for world news when there is not even enough time for United States newsâ€"yet anything hot on a celebrity will see the light of day during that short broadcast cutting short other news stories. One news channel has an 80 second segment covering World News. I don’t see how they can take so much time away from their celebrity crap and petty politics. Yet, 80 seconds is better than what the other news channels give us. Where in the heck can I find a good news reporter that knows what What, Where, and When means? Did the great news reporters of the past have any kids or grandkids to carry on the tradition of good reporting? A few Newspapers come closest to world news reporting but they are few and far between. I would like to see a newspaper called World News Today, and a true world news channel that reports only significant news about celebrities with proper time constraints. That is all wishful thinking! Well, to be truthful, you can find World News on the Internet but you will probably have to pay for the good stuff. But who wants to read the news on a computer monitor? Not me! The media is so corrupted that the fake news show, The Daily Show staring Jon Stewart, now focuses more on the media than on the news. That is a sign of our times. I m sure they would focus on the news if they could find it. The End John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of RandD for Lenox China, is author of detective and western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself Taylor Jones, the hack writer. More info: tjbooks.com Business web site: AAAflagpoles.com