Unfortunately the media tend to highlight what is sensational at the moment Society would be better served if media reported or focused more on events and trends that will ultimately have the most long term significance

It is said that “Media is a reflection of the reflection of the society we live in". In a world where Kanye West's fever gains more attention than a drought in Arizona or the Ozone layer depletion, the media is bound to report and devote majority of their time to sensational news. The sensationalism helps them to rake in user view and T.R.P. ratings which ultimately help them stay afloat and still devote some time to more balanced news reporting with issues and trends of long term importance. This kind of viewer preference is evident in abysmally low user views and T.R.P. ratings for programs by National Geographic or Discovery on Global Warming and melting Polar Ice Caps. Also I really take issue with the implied assumption that what sensational can't be important or have a long term significance. Presidency debates between two favorite campaigners can be sensational and can also help voters decide where they would vote, leading to a definitely long term implication of choosing the new president of the USA.

However, we can't really pile the blame of shallowness on the average television watcher only. A deeper analysis shows an important phenomenon at play here. Most of the Telivison watching public goes to the office in the morn and comes back home tired in the eve after a hard days work, a welcome escape from haranguing boss. This is especially true in contemporary case where a 60 hour week is a norm; compare this to a 40 hour week a few decades ago. By the time they lie on the bed to watch television, they aren't really interested in new which concerns something happening far away from where they live and doesn't really affect them, even if it as important piece of news like the dwindling number of an important species, like say the white polar nears. After a few minutes of watching the issue of disappearing Polar bears he/she would quickly switch to something more entertaining like Kim Kardashian's new diatribe with her beau or the results and review of the last Mets vs Allstars game. The average guy/girl doesn't switch on the T.V. to burden himself with more worrying news, he watches the television to forget the irritating work day and to refresh his mind or to a have a few laughs and enjoy whatever time he/she has before the routine begins again.

Nevertheless, Media still plays and important part in propagating this kind of a flimsy T.V. experience, by regularly broadcasting sensational news repeatedly to gain viewership. The greedy media moguls prey on the very reason described above to increase viewership. Reducing the sensationalism to a bare minimum required for sustenance and devoting the rest of time for useful and responsible media reporting is the required and should be promoted. Media with the amazing power to reach to the millions across the country can mold and shape the public opinion and awareness and this should be wielded with caution and responsibility to increase public concern regarding long term issues and trends instead of just masala news or sensationalism.

In the end, although the media can and should reduce sensationalism by showing more meaningful content and issues having long term consequences, even though by doing that they might lose some of their profit. What they would gain in long term would be the trust of the public. But more importantly, the society as a whole needs to progress to a more informed and concerned one since the media, as stated initially, just caters to the free society demand.