College Happenings

Sam McManis of the Sacramento Bee recently wrote a piece regarding 18-to-34-year-olds lack of interest in the news and current events. Despite medias attempt to modernize itself by going online, creating podcasts and blogs.

CNN even elevated Anderson Cooper to its main anchorman apparently trying to take advantage of his so-called good looks.

Media is grappling for ways to connect with the younger audience and coming up short. The younger audience is full of reasons why they are not tuned it. They don’t have time, they don’t want to pay for a newspaper or they can check the news online when they want it and don’t need to watch a 30 minute newscast.

So what is the media to do? How can they capture this audience? Perhaps they should forget about that audience. Focus on reporting honestly and accurately. Don’t hype the news so it can be sold. Do the best job possible for the people who are paying attention.

What about David T. Z. Mindich’s argument? Mindich is the author of Tuned out: Why Americans Under 40 Don’t follow the News Our democracy depends upon an informed citizenry. He asks the question, “How do you hold the government and its leaders accountable if you don’t follow the news?�

Many people are informed on current events. Are they making a difference? Is anyone really able to hold the government accountable? It appears that the government went to war in Iraq based on a lie. The lie that said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Those weapons have yet to be uncovered, and there have been no consequences for our administrations lies.

An audience may be informed, but that doesn’t mean that they will have an impact on the government and its leaders.

The only saving grace the country has is that at the end of this term we will have a new administration.