The Right Body Image

Journalism plays a key role in shaping many minds about what their body should look like.

Magazines such as Cosmo, Seventeen, and People demand writers to show readers what the "ideal" body shape is in our society. Many times, this body shape is pressuring young women to have an extremely thin body.

Media writers have a huge impact on shaping people's beliefs, ideas, and images of themselves. People that have exposure to any type of mass media have been given what the "right" idea of an acceptable body shape is.

Faces of celebrities such as Mary-Kate Olsen, Lindsay Lohan, and Jessica Alba are plastered on
many magazines so readers can see what "real beauty" is supposed to look like walking down the streets of America.

Often times a magazine may leave out that many celebrities have been diagnosed with some type of eating disorder on his/her journey fitting into that size 0 pair of jeans, such as the three ladies listed above.

Which leaves writers with the question: How do you write a piece for readers and not offend anyone by giving them a negative image about his/her body?

Last week, Brian Steffen showed us the different angles there are to approaching a story when it is assigned.

There are many different approaches that can be used when writing about body image.

Create a human-interest story that could involve somebody who suffered from an eating disorder or put together a how-to piece on how readers can lose weight in healthy ways.

Another great tip for writers is to simply report the facts.

Don't make your story about the 105-pound celebrity with the fancy car and underground pool seem like that is what every person has to be like in order to survive.

People come in all different shapes and sizes. Know what you are reporting to readers may influence the daily life of somebody.

Use journalism as a positive tool to make readers feel good. When writing about a topic such as body image, report reality, not the celebrity world.

Photo Credit: The Chic Fashionista via Creative Commons

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When the Media Go Too Far

Do media have to show everything? Do we have to see, hear or know everything? As a student in journalism, I ask myself sometimes if there is a limit in news world.

The first example that come in my mind is the specialized media in the lives of famous people. They always try to find something interested in stars' private life. Magazines like People like to provide readers with provocative and shocking facts around in the private lifes of celebrities.

But Magazines are not the only media that is interesting in great stories. They all are and even the most reliable media can be brought to use unsavory means to attract the audience. During the Sep. 11 terrorists' attacks in New York City for example, television reporters didn't be afraid to show people jumping from the twin towers live in a worlwide broadcast. I was 13 years-old when I saw these images and I was shocked.

And media also make mistakes because they are attracted by the scoop, the big story and rush to deliver informations without verifying the veracity. The case of Gabrielle Giffords reported dead on national T.V while she was still in surgery.

When you know that her husband heard that she was dead and finally found her alive at the hospital, you can tell that media make serious mistaskes and can ruin lives just because they don't take the time to check facts.

Photo credit: People cover page via CreativeCommons.org

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Journalism..what do we want?

During the last 8 weeks I have paid more attention the journalism. One thing that I have notice is that yes everyone can be a journalist, but we no longer have to wait for "certified" journalist to supply us with information any more. I don't have to watch a game or news cast to see who won anymore. Facebook and Twitter can give me up-to-date information faster then a journalist can load it onto a website. I can find out traffic delays, hotel selections, sports scores all on my blackberry.
Today we don't have to wait for People Magazine to come out, celebreties Twitter they thoughts and events with us daily. To me this is a subject of wanting the cake and the ability to eat it also. We want to save the journalism industry BUT we want everything at out finger tips also. We are going to have to all get on the same page or it might be too late for the journalism industry as we knew it growing up (for those of us over 40).

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