NBC: Importance of News Stories Order

Ah, the 6:30 news broadcast. A time when all Americans alike can sit down and learn about the day's events and the pressing issues facing the United States of America. A time when reporters are meant to "report" the news that affects their constituency, hopefully instilling some sense of knowledge about IMPORTANT issues to the general public. Perhaps the reason why this country has such an uneducated voting electorate is because of the lack of social responsibility on the parts of the editors and reporters alike found at these institutions like NBC. Order is always an important tool when trying to reach the public, especially on a big boring dying breed such as the 6:30 news. (Not to mention that I could not find a kid walking the streets who watched the news that day) The job of reporters is to enlighten the public on political, social,and economic matters of interest that pertain to the overall health and sustainability of the United States of America. They are supposed to act as watchdogs on our elected political and public officials. (They did a terrible job in pointing out how much of a wimp President Obama is for going to meet with Chavez. It is as if Obama needs the adulation, even from enemies who do not want us there. Add the fact that it makes this country look extremely weak and gives us no credibility in the foreign affairs field. I hope Obama got a copy of the picture he took pointing to a book that equates the United States with imperialists and pillagers.) Yet when they present the news, it always seems to be in the wrong order, playing to the fear of the general public instead of providing insight into the country's real and much more important problems. For example, NBC opened up with the Swine Flu (although there have been below 10 cases in the immediate area and were most likely mild) then went straight to another health concern: raccoon ringworm?!!? How about the economy or foreign policy or an in-depth look a t voting patterns of elected officials? How about a status update on the War on Terrorism and perhaps a look into how the soldiers are faring? No. All those things do not get played until after the announced possible storm affecting our Cinco de Mayo celebration because God help us if we cannot party while our economy continues to suffer. As a country, we should reach out and petition for reporters to be more socially responsible for what is shown on television and for what they dub to be the "most" important. What people fail to see is that ultimately, the news stations and anything media related is a business. Until our government decides it is important to have stations like PBS and help in funding those stations, and until reporters realize it is not always about what the people want and increasing viewership, the people of this country will continue to get the run around and will never fully understand the scope and depth of the problems we are facing today.