Media and Politics has answered many of the questions I have concerning the different aspects of media, but there is still one aspect of media I don’t understand nor do I feel it has been fully addressed in class, the aspect I am concerned with is how the media can take a topic and continuously cover it until the viewers become physically and mentally ill. Case in point… Michael Jackson. I know the media is driven my ratings and will try to cover topics that will bring in viewers and money so it only makes sense that they cover the death of one of the greatest legends in the music world/NAMLBA world (too far?) but I don’t understand why we have to hear every little detail of Michael Jackson for months?! Some stations turned into the M.J.N. (Michael Jackson Network) talking about him 24 hours a day, every day (BET I think you know who I am talking about)! This repetitive coverage made me not want to go near my television! Is this the type of coverage that draws in viewers or pushes them away? After a few weeks of hearing the same stories over and over at all hours of the day I don’t think a whole lot of people were pleased, at least nobody I spoke with. I have also found multiple surveys online that show an overwhelming distaste for the amount of coverage the event received. So, I ask again, why so much coverage? The same type of coverage is happening with Lebron James, Reporter: “Lebron, where will you play next year?” Lebron: “I don’t know, we will see when the time comes.” Again, Reporter: “Lebron, would you rather play in Cleveland or New York?” Lebron: “I don’t even think about it, we will see when we get there.” (Repeat these questions 5000 times for full frustration effect). Don’t get me wrong I am a huge sports fan and I am excited to see what Lebron decides to do next year but I don’t want to hear about it every day for the next year! With all this exhaustive coverage of where he might end up and after being asked 5 trillion times where he will go, it is no wonder Lebron came out and said he will no longer answer questions concerning his free agency until the summer of 2010. I must again state that I understand that the media covers topics the people want to see and when the news broke on these two stories the demand was defiantly high but after the same question was asked 10,000 times only to get the same answer, people get sick of it. What drives this form of media then? Am I just ignorant to the fact people unconsciously have desire to receive this repetitive coverage? I don’t know if I will ever know or ever truly understand this form of coverage.
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