This week I would like to take a look at a news media source that many of us are exposed to on at a weekly, if not daily basis, Kennesaw State University's very own Sentinel. The latest issue of The Sentinel boasted a front page headline of "Commons Receives 80 on Health Inspection: Caught Off Guard During Lunch Rush". For many, I am sure this came as a shock and prompted immediate concern as well as other initial reactions that were spurred by a fairly surprising headline, as I am sure many of us eat at the Commons on a regular basis. As a student of political science, with particular reference to a course in Mass Media and Politics, I think it is of utmost importance to look a little deeper into the headline, article, and information that was presented through them.
Much of the course referenced focuses on analyzing and discussing how mass media operates and how this plays into public perception of important issues. While this post does not necessarily pertain specifically to politics, in my opinion it is still an issue that affects students on a daily basis and therefore needs to be looked at a little more closely than just a shocking headline. For example, many media outlets, especially those that are free, aim for an approach that merely maximizes exposure to the public, not necessarily focusing on the truth. The Sentinel, being a college publication is quite the opposite. While still lacking in some details, as one commenter points out on the online version of the article, looking at even just the headline tells the consumer perhaps why the low rating was issued to the Commons. Another noteworthy aspect of this article is the feedback from other students. While I am of the opinion that a more wide demographic should have been reached out to, such as older students, considering that both student testimonials mentioned in the article were from freshman, these are still valid viewpoints to be considered.
The point I am trying to make is that while the headline and content may be slightly unsettling for some, there is a bigger picture to take into consideration. The material is genuine and fact based, unlike many media sources that are available to the public today. So the next time someone out there is scrolling through their Facebook news feed and taking everything from The Huffington Post for face value, please remember that sources such as these are aiming for clicks, while sources such as the Sentinel are a tool for media students that hold the intent of informing the public.
Check out the article here: http://www.ksusentinel.com/2013/11/19/commons-receives-80-on-health-inspection-caught-off-guard-during-lunch-rush/
You bring up a good point about how journalism has become a craft of attention-grabbing more than anything else these days. Sometimes, you can even find a dramatic headline that outright misrepresents the contents of the article. I have a post on my blog about such an incident, actually.
ReplyDeleteHuffington Post and others are the worst at this. Their focus on celebrity news is fortuitous, I think, as they deal mostly in the trade of conflict, dramatic storytelling more than honest journalism.
Good post!