Some might say that the recent trend of Americans, especially the teen and college aged, to get their news from late-night comedians such as John Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Jay Leno is a serious problem. These people would argue that such sources offer little bearing on what is actually important in the world today. While generally I agree with the basic statements--and I must say that I love the Stewart/Colbert hour and Leno's monologue--I have to wonder what the alternatives are.
Today, a relatively popular and well respected 24-hour news network, MSNBC, reported at length on the developing Paris Hilton scandal; namely. that after being sentenced to three weeks (on a reduced sentence) in prison Hilton was told she could go back to her home for house arrest because she refused to eat the prison food (one wonders how this would have worked for Ghandi). Today, Hilton was forced to go back to prison by a California judge--now my hero.
During this time MSNBC had live helicopter footage for two solid hours of Hilton's house, waiting for the heiress to emerge to be taken back to the prison. A reporter, the editor I believe, then broke in for a 30 second spot detailing that Marine Gen. Peter Pace had been succeeded by Navy Adm. Mike Mullen as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a decision that has far-reaching implications on the war in Iraq which is appearing to become even more of a Vietnam-esque quagmire everyday.
Nevermind that most young Americans don't know whom the Joint Chiefs of Staff are. Nevermind the situation in Iraq, or in the Middle East, or the growing concern over Vladimir Putin and Hugo Chavez; nevermind that former aid to Vice President Cheney, Lewis "Scooter" Libby was just recently sentenced to 30 months in prison for his involvement in the leak of a CIA operative's identity. Nevermind the AIDS pandemic in Africa or the G8 conference and its possible impact on global poverty and forget the conflict on troop withdrawal deadlines, immigration and the rumors and accusations of the Council of Europe against alleged secret prisons run by the CIA in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Instead the "news" is Paris Hilton--a woman whom I dare say has offered nothing to society except a couple dirty videos--is going back to jail.
Where is the justice?
We decry the decline of voter turnout and political apathy while we celebrate and publicly scorn, condemn, and praise the sordid lives of people like Paris Hilton! The news media is to blame! Hilton is not news, she is a spoiled rich trust fund baby who squanders her familys' [relatively] good name and vast fortunes on a shallow and trite life of partying, sex, drugs and name-calling. At least some people are looking for news from the likes of the late-night talk show gods because often far more intelligent and relevant information and social commentary (albeit largely biased) comes from show like these, whereas news about Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and, Sanjaya Malakar come from sources like MSNBC. As a future journalist I am personally outraged and as a citizen I am disgusted.
-Caleb Williams
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