News, trust, and 'truthiness'

While reading some classmates blogs, I received the general impression that each person believed satirical news is as reliable as traditional news broadcasts. A student noted that “while these satirical forms of media are often looked upon as more for entertainment than actual knowledge, they do inform the viewer of current events to the same extent that traditional media would” (http://keenbeau80.wordpress.com/). This statement strengthens the idea that satirical news is as reliable as traditional news. It is firmly stated that viewers are informed of the current events happening around them. This is the main point of news casts and using a more comedic approach does not take away from the information given. Another student mentioned that ‘they provide a different take on popular news stories, which causes people to question these stories and not just believe what they hear” (http://cpcf1f25blog.wordpress.com/). Though some may argue that questioning news reports is a bad issue, it does happen. Reading this quote helped me better understand that satirical news reports are not something to look down upon, but they leave news reports with an open ended approach while traditional news just give you the facts about current events.

As one student noted, “I’d like to present the idea that these satirical news reporting’s are useful sources of entertainment that provide relief and a sense of voice for views of the public sphere who choose to indulge in its content” (http://nk13ps.wordpress.com/). Using this quote as an example, I realize what the conclusions of development for the contemporary public sphere could be. If individuals can all accept that satirical news reports can be a reliable source of information, then the media could move forward in attracting more individuals to watch news broadcasts. I personally do not like watching the news because I find it very discouraging and negative towards our society. As this quote states, satirical news provides relief for viewers by contributing comedy to its broadcasts. This can assist in the development of the public sphere because instead of the viewer’s hearing about the latest deadly storm, the news cast can find comedy in the story while also explaining what has happened in current events. Overall, I believe that satirical news is as reliable as traditional news and the conclusions brought on by the development of this type of program can benefit the viewers in a positive way.