All Quiet on the American Front
One of the many important news items that the media has been ignoring with its constant coverage of the George Zimmerman trial is the massive wave of protests sweeping Brazil. The Brazilians' citizen revolt has been about everything from government corruption, economic inequality, crumbling infrastructure, a social safety net that's in tatters, and poor public transportation. People are also angry about the massive amounts of money the government is pumping into sports, including Brazil's hosting of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Yes, you read that right. People in soccer-crazed Brazil are mad about all the money being spent to host soccer's premier international event. Compare that to people in the United States who don't even bat an eyelash at the den of corruption, thievery, and child molestation that college football has become, where sports coaches make millions while professors get pink slips.
Noted media scholar Marty Kaplan appeared on this week's Moyers and Company to discuss the pervasive focus of the corporate media on providing entertainment instead of news. A fundamental factor that Mr. Kaplan points to is that the purely business model adopted by media outlets creates pressure to cover things that the masses find interesting but that are not necessarily important. He points out that one of the jobs of the journalist is to make stories that are important interesting.
The protests in Brazil started because of fare increases on public transit in one city. Meanwhile, in the United States, the pioneer of revolutions for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, cities across the country have spiked public transit fares to levels that are a huge burden on the poorest members of society and gouge everyone else. And yet it hasn't even caused a ripple, much less a revolt.
Yes, you read that right. People in soccer-crazed Brazil are mad about all the money being spent to host soccer's premier international event. Compare that to people in the United States who don't even bat an eyelash at the den of corruption, thievery, and child molestation that college football has become, where sports coaches make millions while professors get pink slips.
Noted media scholar Marty Kaplan appeared on this week's Moyers and Company to discuss the pervasive focus of the corporate media on providing entertainment instead of news. A fundamental factor that Mr. Kaplan points to is that the purely business model adopted by media outlets creates pressure to cover things that the masses find interesting but that are not necessarily important. He points out that one of the jobs of the journalist is to make stories that are important interesting.
The protests in Brazil started because of fare increases on public transit in one city. Meanwhile, in the United States, the pioneer of revolutions for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, cities across the country have spiked public transit fares to levels that are a huge burden on the poorest members of society and gouge everyone else. And yet it hasn't even caused a ripple, much less a revolt.