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On one of the rare nights I join my family for the Charlie Brown Valentine Special in front of the Telly, I am treated to the following announcement which went something like this:
We interrupt this program for the following “world news” report; ten second count down on screen to live broadcast in newsroom.
We interrupt this program for the following “world news” report; ten second count down on screen to live broadcast in newsroom.
David Muir sits before me in a pensive state.
I am anticipating bombing, terrorist, or other news that would impact the safety of our country as we know it.
Magnify the impact with this statement,
“we want to alert parents who might have children in the room”.
My stomach is in knots as I flash back to 911.
I am thinking, tragedy with lives lost, possibly horrible images.
At which point I hear instead that singer/actress Whitney Houston is dead.
I feel I have been sucker punched.
Please do not misunderstand me,
I am not a cold-heart, without empathy and sadness to the passing of life.
I understand that this person is a “star”.
But this is my point, I sit absorbing the news and feel infuriated.
This is news.
But is this really “world news”?
My daughter looks over at me, in her 11 years , she does not know who Whitney Houston is, has not heard of her, but states, “Mom, someone has died”.
Yes, I reply but the fact is, this is not “world news”; this is entertainment news.
Big news to some, but really, if you are going to interrupt broadcasting during prime time TV, I am expecting earth-shaking news.
News that will impact the peace and safety of the nation. I am utterly, completely bewildered as I look at the social media. What have we come to? We do not even recognize how saturated we are with media and the cult of personality.
I am anticipating bombing, terrorist, or other news that would impact the safety of our country as we know it.
Magnify the impact with this statement,
“we want to alert parents who might have children in the room”.
My stomach is in knots as I flash back to 911.
I am thinking, tragedy with lives lost, possibly horrible images.
At which point I hear instead that singer/actress Whitney Houston is dead.
I feel I have been sucker punched.
Please do not misunderstand me,
I am not a cold-heart, without empathy and sadness to the passing of life.
I understand that this person is a “star”.
But this is my point, I sit absorbing the news and feel infuriated.
This is news.
But is this really “world news”?
My daughter looks over at me, in her 11 years , she does not know who Whitney Houston is, has not heard of her, but states, “Mom, someone has died”.
Yes, I reply but the fact is, this is not “world news”; this is entertainment news.
Big news to some, but really, if you are going to interrupt broadcasting during prime time TV, I am expecting earth-shaking news.
News that will impact the peace and safety of the nation. I am utterly, completely bewildered as I look at the social media. What have we come to? We do not even recognize how saturated we are with media and the cult of personality.
This is not about the life of Whitney Houston, God rest her soul.
This is about a culture that is out of control, blind and completely confused about priorities.
We have Military sacrificing their very lives, yet we put on pedestals those who abuse themselves. We bow to the lost, addicted and glamorized.
We allow media to define who is glorified, who is publicly praised, while true servants, talented, gifted and God-fearing people are villainized, slandered and ignored.
Again, I do not want to give you the wrong impression, I believe it is sad that this highly thought of celebrity is gone from this earthly life.
I trust and pray that her personal hope and faith was in the Lord Jesus.
My point has nothing to do with the who.
But the fact that the who is secondary to the blindness that we are exposed to without question and accepting as normal.
This was not World News that deserved immediate reporting,
without all of the details and facts known.
I am sure I am going to take a beating for this, but does anyone else see anything disturbingly wrong with this incident or have I just truly fallen off the edge of obscurity to the point of complete inability to recognize significant news?
Is there such a perspective loss; a deterioration of significance in our media infused times? My mind is going to the times I have received significant news-worthy, relevant information.
Here is what comes to my mind:
The first man on the moon, The Challenger Disaster, terrorist Attacks of 911.
These are “World News” events.
These are things that impacted my perception of life, liberty and death.
It saddens me to think we as a nation can no longer discern or
define what world-breaking news is.
I am so disgusted with journalism, news media and reporting that I realize I made the right choice not entering the field of News Reporting.
Thank you, for that David Muir, you just confirmed a life long inquiry on whether I chose the right path or not.
Emphatically, I blog freely stating… yes.
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| I just have to speak what is on my mind… |
Enthusiastically, Dawn 
I so agree with you that our society has no conception of real news. The death of a singer, although sad, is not earth shattering. The only lesson could be that is that if you abuse your body, you will pay, although they didn't mention that on the news, I bet.
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Amen! It is moments like that when I am GLAD I never completed my journalism degree and pursued a career. The field has lost its integrity and purpose. It's all about ratings and the almighty dollar.
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I hear you, Dawn.Last month, the morning 'headlining news' on ABC was the birth of Beyonce's and Jay Z's baby daughter. Excuse me, headlining news?I so enjoyed Whitney Houston's music, she had a beautiful voice and my heart broke each time I heard a news story about her seemingly continual downward spiral in life. I don't understand why the newscaster had to alert parents for this sad announcement. Horrible plane crash — yes. Terrorist attack — yes. Death of a celebrity — I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.Grace & peace,Pam
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Those were my exact feelings when I heard the report of Whitney Houston's death. I think I was expecting it would happen soon, so I wasn't too shocked by her death. You are so right about who we idolize in this country, and its sickening.
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Totally agree with you, and we are not hard-hearted meanys in any way! Just odd priorities in the media in recent years.
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