What are the media’s moral obligations in making society aware of extreme poverty in the world?

[Robert_Sock]

‘Media’ has no responsibilities other than to their shareholders. Actors within the industry do have moral obligations. That’s not splitting hairs. That’s trying to frame the question correctly.

I consider extreme poverty to be a crime against humanity, on par with that of the Holocaust! Did German soldiers have no other obligation but to serve Hitler? O f course they had their moral obligations, just as those in the media have their moral obligations to report on extreme poverty!

 

[Robert_Sock]

I consider extreme poverty to be a crime against humanity, on par with that of the Holocaust! Did German soldiers have no other obligation but to serve Hitler? O f course they had their moral obligations, just as those in the media have their moral obligations to report on extreme poverty!

My apologies to Jozefo for the above post! I tried to remove my quote of you from the post, but the 20 minute limit had expired; I should not have quoted you at all, but I think the post is relevant to the discussion.

 

[St_Francis]

I consider extreme poverty to be a crime against humanity, on par with that of the Holocaust! Did German soldiers have no other obligation but to serve Hitler? O f course they had their moral obligations, just as those in the media have their moral obligations to report on extreme poverty!

You have made two assertions in this thread: 1. that extreme poverty is a crime against humanity, and 2. that the media has a moral obligation to report on it.

Could you define what you consider extreme poverty?

And could you give your arguments supporting your two assertions?

I ask because when you explain more, you generally make more sense than when you just sketch something out; hope you don’t mind my mentioning that.

 

[Tradosaurus_Rex]

Extreme poverty is not a crime against humanity. As for the Medias moral responsibilities, I believe the only one they have is that they must report the truth. Which truths they want to report on, however, is up to them.

Thinking that mankind can somehow eradicate poverty is an idea which goes against a divinely revealed truth and that is;

“The poor you will always have with you…”-- Jesus.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I consider extreme poverty to be a crime against humanity, on par with that of the Holocaust! Did German soldiers have no other obligation but to serve Hitler? O f course they had their moral obligations, just as those in the media have their moral obligations to report on extreme poverty!

You can’t have a crime without a perpetrator. Who’s the perp?

 

[pnewton]

Those controlling the media have a moral obligation to fully inform the public of the extreme poverty that exists in the world today. It’s time that society turns its attention from baseball, football and the meaningless attention payed to pop ‘stars,’ and instead focus on the the huge human tragedy entailed in extreme poverty.

Consider what would happen. If a media outlet discontinued reporting of things that interested people, they would lose revenue and the ability to report anything at all. In a few months, they would no longer exist. I understand your point, but this is another case where good intentions would be exercised foolishly.

Again, the question is never what is the media doing about poverty. It is what am I doing about the poor.

 

[pnewton]

See how annoying the mischaracterization of one’s position is? If you see me and others who disagree with you as more akin to demons than Catholics…

Notice anything contradictory with these two statement? The first gives a principle. The second violates the principle you just gave.

gracepoole said nothing about it being wrong to have a different opinion, or a different way to try and help the poor. Her complaint was when “CAF posters often …argue that feeling charitable toward those in third-world poverty is problematic because giving directly to those in need doesn’t work.” Giving directly to need is directly commanded by Jesus and is presented by the Lord as how we will be judged. No one should discourage Christians from feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc., even if one doesn’t believe it does long term good.

 

[pnewton]

I consider extreme poverty to be a crime against humanity, on par with that of the Holocaust!!

Interesting opinion. I asked earlier about where you can find outside your own opinions about this media obligation. Since I got no answer then, let me ask you where the Church has ever suggested such an comparison? I take it you had no family that was murdered in the Holocaust. If you can not show some Church teaching that backs this up, will you at least consider that your solo opinions might be a little off kilter?

 

[St_Francis]

Notice anything contradictory with these two statement? The first gives a principle. The second violates the principle you just gave.

gracepoole said nothing about it being wrong to have a different opinion, or a different way to try and help the poor. Her complaint was when “CAF posters often …argue that feeling charitable toward those in third-world poverty is problematic because giving directly to those in need doesn’t work.” Giving directly to need is directly commanded by Jesus and is presented by the Lord as how we will be judged. No one should discourage Christians from feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc., even if one doesn’t believe it does long term good.

Since I have never read anyone on CAF saying flat-out that one should not give money to those in need in the third world, I assumed she was mischaracterizing some arguments I have heard people make.

If, however, she has seen people say that, I would like some evidence.

 

[Robert_Sock]

You can’t have a crime without a perpetrator. Who’s the perp?

I think I posted this to you before, but the perpetrators for extreme poverty is society as a whole, especially government and those in control of the media, for turning a blind eye.

 

[Jozefo]

I consider extreme poverty to be a crime against humanity, on par with that of the Holocaust! Did German soldiers have no other obligation but to serve Hitler? O f course they had their moral obligations, just as those in the media have their moral obligations to report on extreme poverty!

Poverty is an economic status. It’s not a crime unless someone is inflicting it on someone else. Some people are in poverty by choice. Are they victims or criminals in your book?

Now, which German soldiers committed atrocities? Surely not all of them.

One more thing: journalists also have a moral obligation to their employers. They don’t have the authority to write about just anything, do they?

 

[pnewton]

Since I have never read anyone on CAF saying flat-out that one should not give money to those in need in the third world, I assumed she was mischaracterizing some arguments I have heard people make.

If, however, she has seen people say that, I would like some evidence.

If I remember next time I see someone post that, I will try and PM you. I have a few of these type of questions rattling aroung in my head and have sometimes been able to come back to them. Yes, I have seen this posted, though I grant that sometimes in the desire to exaggerate a point sometimes people overstate that which they really believe.

 

[pnewton]

Did German soldiers have no other obligation but to serve Hitler? O f course they had their moral obligations, just as those in the media have their moral obligations to report on extreme poverty!

Despite this rather extreme example of Godwin’s Law, do you think, based on this comparison, that all sportscaster need to resign their job or face the moral equivalent of a war crimes trial?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think I posted this to you before, but the perpetrators for extreme poverty is society as a whole, especially government and those in control of the media, for turning a blind eye.

I think you have a point in saying the media do not generally expose poverty, and should. But don’t you think indicting “society as a whole” is a bit broad? Society as a whole speaks and acts through government, and is not always very well informed about what government is doing or not doing.

I would bet that most people in this country, for instance, have a very general idea that there is serious poverty in some places in the world. But of course, people who don’t know whether Canada is on our northern border or southern border, really can’t focus on particular areas of poverty. Too many people really don’t know where anything is in the world.

Also, I firmly believe most Americans think that somehow the government is taking care of the poor. Perhaps only because my wife works with people disabled in mind and/or body, I know for certain that it isn’t. The very worst off receive the very least aid, while millions who really don’t need it, receive more than the average wage-earner does.

So yes, the media ought to be doing a better job of informing people about poverty. It’s not quite that it never does, though. What it does do is make it a political thing. It will serve up an anecdotal story about someone with an untreated medical condition, for example, in order to make a point about Obamacare. There may be a story about some poor family in Appalachia, but it’s really a condemnation of coal companies or of shutting down coal companies, either one. But there is always a political purpose in such presentations.

And meanwhile, the poorest of the poor in this country never get an honest presentation. I absolutely believe that. And yes, I believe this government is quite guilty in its terrible treatment of those who cannot help themselves. It is interested in wooing votes with middle class welfare, and money with corporate welfare. I am absolutely convinced of that.

But I have no expectation at all that the media will change its ways.

 

[gracepoole]

Some people are in poverty by choice. Are they victims or criminals in your book?

In terms of third-world poverty, this is a myth. These people haven’t chosen poverty and in most cases they’d more likely sprout a third leg than be able to pull themselves out of poverty.

 

[Jozefo]

In terms of third-world poverty, this is a myth. These people haven’t chosen poverty and in most cases they’d more likely sprout a third leg than be able to pull themselves out of poverty.

It most definitely is not a myth. There was a time when I chose poverty. I can take you to places in the states where people choose poverty.

 

[Robert_Sock]

You have made two assertions in this thread: 1. that extreme poverty is a crime against humanity, and 2. that the media has a moral obligation to report on it.

Could you define what you consider extreme poverty?

And could you give your arguments supporting your two assertions?

I ask because when you explain more, you generally make more sense than when you just sketch something out; hope you don’t mind my mentioning that.

I do not have an economic definition of extreme poverty, but the extreme poverty I see or hear about has to do with people sleeping on the streets, experiencing starvation, made to drink unsanitary water, having to beg for money to buy food and children having to search garbage bins for something to eat.

Again, I equate extreme poverty to the extermination of Jews in Nazi Germany, many of whom starved to death; the two sets of crimes have many parallels.

Just as the Nazi Germans had a moral obligation to not turn a blind eye to the extermination of the Jews, so too, I believe that the media needs to stop turning a blind eye to extreme poverty, as if it did not exist.

 

[Jozefo]

I do not have an economic definition of extreme poverty, but the extreme poverty I see or hear about has to do with people sleeping on the streets, experiencing starvation, made to drink unsanitary water, having to beg for money to buy food and children having to search garbage bins for something to eat.

Just to give you some context about me, I’ve done all those things, except beg for money. I begged for work, but not money.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Consider what would happen. If a media outlet discontinued reporting of things that interested people, they would lose revenue and the ability to report anything at all. In a few months, they would no longer exist. I understand your point, but this is another case where good intentions would be exercised foolishly.

Again, the question is never what is the media doing about poverty. It is what am I doing about the poor.

Imagine what happened to Germans who tried to help the Jews from extermination? This was their moral obligation, and many paid the price. So too, the media needs to willing to make sacrifices in reporting extreme poverty. I strongly disagree that the media would go out of business for simply reporting these horrific crimes; indeed, it may give them credibility and their ratings may increase as a result! And even if they did go out of business, which again would be very unlikely, it would be a result of their moral obligations and the media would then need to be state run.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Just to give you some context about me, I’ve done all those things, except beg for money. I begged for work, but not money.

I’m so sorry for your extreme hardships!