Is news really entertainment? Do we like to see people suffer?

[soccerDad]

I don’t watch much news. I don’t get the paper. I sometimes listen to the radio. Some would say I am uninformed, but I don’t find it so.

I have a friend who is a news junkie. I tell him news is just his form of entertainment. He disagrees. But look at the majority of content in mainstream news, especially TV and papers. It’s all commentary, filler and advertising. Even the news is nonsense about the latest ipod, or celebrity. Then there is the fact that most news is assoc. press and has no direct impact on local life whatsoever.

So, as most news is bad news, about the latest crime or scandal or death or war or gossip, and if we’re just using it for entertainment, isn’t that wrong?

 

[qmvsimp]

soccerDad:

I don’t watch much news. I don’t get the paper. I sometimes listen to the radio. Some would say I am uninformed, but I don’t find it so.

I have a friend who is a news junkie. I tell him news is just his form of entertainment. He disagrees. But look at the majority of content in mainstream news, especially TV and papers. It’s all commentary, filler and advertising. Even the news is nonsense about the latest ipod, or celebrity. Then there is the fact that most news is assoc. press and has no direct impact on local life whatsoever.

So, as most news is bad news, about the latest crime or scandal or death or war or gossip, and if we’re just using it for entertainment, isn’t that wrong?

You bring up some good points. I want to address the question in your header about seeing people suffer.

As Catholics, we use the crucifix more than we use a plain cross. This is to remind us of Christ’s suffering. I don’t mind seeing people suffer, because it pushes me to try to do something about it. Hearing that people were suffering in New Orleans was one thing, but seeing it on TV brought our country to action.