Reality is Made for TV After All
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Reality TV isn't the only thing presenting reality with an agenda like a soap opera; a recent rescue of 33 miners could be the script for a movie.
Every trapped miner has a story line. Each is a well developed character with a family waiting on the surface for their rescue. Each had a will to live, and each appeared to be "resurrected" from the earth.
When a person sees this kind of story in the news, it can stir questions about reality versus scripted reality. How much of what is shown on TV a true replication of reality--even when it is reported?
It is a strange thing to think about. How much of reality is actually shown as reality?
Over the years there has been more and more distrust of the government. It would seem like if they can't trust the government they would then turn to the media (an establishment supposedly free from the government) in order to find truth. However, the public should perhaps be cautious about putting this kind of trust in the media.
We've all heard about or been warned about biases. We all have one and we all use one--but maybe more importantly, we all are exposed to information that has been filtered through a bias.
So what does that mean for reality TV? Most would agree that it isn't exactly representative of true reality. Instead, reality TV does a lot to influence our perspective on reality.
It's our job to filter out what we want to believe and what we don't. It's our job to question what is presented as 'reality' no matter what source it comes from.
Finally, it is our job to remember that everything is presented through and experienced through certain biases and the only way to truly understand the information is to understand what parts of our own perspective are influenced by these biases.
2 comments:
I am interested in this topic because it seems like "scripted reality," as you put it, would have some implications on the reader reception of "real" media. I worry that this is going to reinforce many concerns of readers and viewers about the legitimacy of news.
I've heard too many people state their opinions about how the media sets out to mislead readers intentionally and this is upsetting. I don't want this to be another reason for readers to doubt the media.
I completely agree that reality TV tends to brainwash the reality as some people view it.
I also really like the fact that you also incorporated filtering. In today's society everyone should have a filter, and whether they know what to filter is up to them. It is up to them to decide what we have been told to decipher every day, the difference between right and wrong.
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