By Alexi CohanCOLUMNIST
Bruce Jenner is a woman. Yes, this is what we have been hearing about for weeks and was finally confirmed after his shocking interview with Diane Sawyer. It hooked millions of viewers, and made the front pages of tabloids and news websites. The media attention was conflated beyond belief because it sells. This matter unfortunately took the spotlight over other, more important news stories. Is this type of inflated media attention really warranted?
Many just cannot resist a juicy story about a celebrity. Entertainment news makes up a large portion of the media industry, and stories in this category continually become popular. However, why is it that society cares more about the fact that Bruce Jenner is transgender than, for example, the thousands of people who died in an earthquake in Nepal the very same day as the announcement?
Of course, LGBT issues are taking an important spot in the news today, but what causes our society to take such great interest in the personal lives of superstars? Entertainment news is most always irrelevant and trivial. It is called entertainment news because that is the only purpose it serves, to entertain. This information undeservingly gets widespread attention, not because it is important or vital for the public to be informed about, but because it is easy to grasp and talk about, and most times shocking or funny. Under no means should entertainment news take precedence over hard news, like the devastating Nepal earthquake.
As a society, we should shift our focus from the mindless, irresistible gossip to that of social, political, national and local issues. The media should lead this change, as they unjustifiably perpetuate the problem. Gaining a more practical perspective instead of giving all of our attention to someone coming out as transgender should be a priority. It is not just the fault of the public. It is the responsibility of journalists to prioritize the most important news stories. Often editors in charge of front pages and news rundowns unfortunately pick whatever will sell and attract the most viewers or readers. In place of seeing Bruce Jenner’s eerily changing face popping up on the front page or screen, we should have seen impacting pictures of the devastation in Nepal followed by all of the crucial details of this groundbreaking piece of news.
Overall, to be able to reach and fulfill the goal of true journalism through properly informing the public about important issues, the media must stop filling up airtime and space on websites and magazines with ridiculous and prying information. We will have a better-informed public and more coverage and attention on what really matters, the hard news. Sure, entertainment news and knowing about Bruce Jenner’s life will not go away. The latest in Hollywood should never take the spotlight away from hard-hitting and relevant stories.
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