Being human is a very personal experience. Although most individuals are statisticized and pigeonholed somehow, somewhere along their life (within cagegories of consumers, students, employees, citizens for example) we interpret messages according to the ideologies we personally identify with. In the case of satirical news programmes this is no exception. By definition these shows can be considered culture jamming, this seems to be the general consensus among this student body. Abbey confirms in her blog that they can “definitely be defined as mainstream culture jamming” but later in her blog she also states that “this kind of reporting is not a useful addition for the public sphere not relevant at all for people who want real news. This shows that people watch these types of shows to get a good laugh, not to get real news.” (http://abbeyunyi.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/is-the-fake-news-the-real-news/). This is a legitimate opinion of someone who does not necessarily analyze information for its connoted meanings. My question is, what is real news? And is there somewhere I can honestly receive news which is not influenced by motives of profit, power and control?
As we have learned in this course, there is often more to media messages than the surface meaning/function. In the case of mass media and thanks to the powers that be which control it, it is increasingly difficult to air critical discourse without disguising it as entertainment. On a brighter note at least most of us agree with Abbey in that we can all get a chuckle out of the material, whether we appreciate the criticism or not. As I discussed in my own blog, I side with Matt who tells us he “view[s] this as a legitimate source for keeping up to date with the happenings of our world and do so with a smile on my face.” (http://mv10jx.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/is-the-fake-news-the-real-news/).
I still try to read the paper and listen to CBC news on the radio when I get the chance, but especially as audiences for these semi believable media dwindle, there is much need for alternative discourse in the public sphere about news content as well as the mass media that deliver it. At the very least, this type of pop culture culture jam “gives its audience a different method of highlighting ordinary news.” (http://melissaaichele.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/is-the-fake-news-the-real-news/)
I feel like the importance of recognizing and learning from what shows like this are telling us should not be ignored. Unfortunately in western cultures people are trained from a young age, through media and other popular culture artifacts to consume unquestioningly. This is a reciprocal trust which is built up between those which control the media and those which consume it. My issue is that I do not believe my values or those of a large portion of the population as a matter of fact are represented by mass media. This extends to the fact that the biggest from of communication we possess in the public sphere is owned and controlled by corporations which do not have a wholesome, sustainable, positive and honest business model. When there is more public discourse about making money than making change. We find ourselves in a time when the only people that don’t want change are those with money because they depend on those without it to work hard all day and/or night to buy the products and services (including entertainment) which put them in said positions. It is unfortunate that one of the few mass media interaction with the legitimacy of media is one that many will not take seriously. Closing on that mote, this examination of mass media only reiterates the need for more publicly funded and influenced mass media exposure in the world of news and entertainment but also in general programming of all media channels.
An Insight to Media and Culture 