7 Things to Help You Discern Media Hype

When watching television news, interviews, listening to radio or reading any mainstream newspaper or magazine, you should be viewing the material like a boss checking over his employees' self-evaluation report.  "I might agree, then again maybe not.  Where is the evidence that backs up why I should be giving this worker a raise?"  So what are you looking for?

1.  Coverups (or Memory Erasing)

So what are they trying to keep you from paying attention to yet again?  Is it the laws government wants to change?  An unnecessary war?  A murder?  A celebrity connection to some madness?  Shady business dealings?  What might the media reps be doing to get you to forget about what you heard or what you saw the other day coming from that rogue fraternal member who is now turning on his brothers and sisters?  Time to erase your memory. 

2.  Lies

Last week, month or year you were told one thing, but now it is something different.  Compare reports (if you can still find them).  Save material whether seen on or off the TV screen especially when a case involves you or a family member.  There are the lies that cover up lies, lies that are left unsaid, half-truths, and other types of lies.  All must be proven wrong. Lies become person when they affect your well-being or someone else's you care about.

3.  Exaggeration

The media will do it every time, exaggerate news stories!  What may appear to be a bad earthquake, storm, or something else "tragic, bad" or the worse one has seen in years is usually not as bad as you think.  Take the time to interview locals simply by making a phone call, visiting a person's blog or video page from that area and more before alerting everyone to how bad something is.  You don't want to be considered a puppet, a pawn or an agent in the game now do you?  Do your research!

4.  Bullying

Talk show hosts and similar shows where people like to yell, argue, joke, etc. will bully a guest who starts sharing truth that deviates from the planned order of events for the show.  They will give the honest guest a hard time because they don't want certain things about an A-list event, law, document, book, movie, government official, or a celebrity leaked out.  Therefore, these reporters will talk real loud, criticize, speak about something else, or even threaten just so that someone speaking truth will shut up.  Sometimes the guest is told to, "Shut up!" by the interviewer.  Don't fall for it!  Look up what the guest is alerting you to rather than getting caught up in the emotion and stay off those mainstream media sites that will only keep you brainwashed when seeking truth.  The bully (an emotional commentator/reporter/writer) often goes to work when protecting certain entertainers (ie. athletes).  You may have suspected some cheating going on at a national sporting event, but the media will distract you from not thinking too deeply (exercising your critical thinking skills) by putting their spin on things.  "Go back to sleep...we know you won't question anything--we know you are a fan--watch those commercials,enjoy the show!" they hope you won't raise a stink.  But if you do, they will get some talk show host to bully you on or offline with all your exposing.

5.  Symbolism

There is a coded language between members of elitist groups and if you think there isn't you are deceived!  Just like you have certain things you say at work that others may not understand outside of your job, so do those individuals who belong to powerful groups.  So there is a lot said when one holds his or her hand a certain way, poses or winks while the camera is rolling.  In addition, the wardrobe a person wears and the color makes a statement right along with the tattoo, earrings, necklace pendant, and more--they all mean something.  Your job is to find out what it means and why would this person be communicating such a message at this time and to whom?  Hold on to your wallet and your family.

6.  Connections

Everyone has them whether poor, rich, black, white, and so on, connections.  From civic groups to churches, someone is connected to a support system that may help you, but then again maybe not it all depends on your networth, service and namesake.  Anyone who is a major figure in the news didn't get there just because they could sing, dance, throw a ball around, etc. someone or group permitted them to grasp the pages of certain award-winning media because "My mom is an affiliate of...my dad works for...I know..."  You will want to find out what is that person's affiliations and what might that person be used for that keeps being flashed before your eyes on the nightly news.  Maybe his or her story drives consumer spending up (mind you 70% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumers buying stuff).  Who knows, maybe that popular celebrity that keeps making Yahoo's top ten searches sways the masses to think a particular way, live in a specific area, or moves children to act rebellious toward parents who later grow weary of them and drop them off at a government owned organization, etc.  Whatever the purpose, you should be concerned particularly when your child or partner says things like, "I love that celebrity, I want to marry him...I think she is the best...I wish I could be her...Why don't we get that thing they have, honey it would make us so happy..."

7.  Purpose

Ask yourself with every major news story presented before your eyes, "What is the purpose?  Why do they want me to be concerned about strangers from XYZ county, who can't help me, and could care less about my family and I?"

Remember, from commercials to the music you repeatedly listen to everyday in your car, someone has something they want to say to you whether consciously or subconsciously.  How often you listen to them, your choice.  How much you will buy from them, your choice.  Where you go, your choice.  Who you support, your choice.  Don't let media hype box you into a corner that you can't get out of!

Nicholl McGuire

Author of Know Your Enemy: The Christian's Critic and other books.

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