Question: Why is there so much conflict in the media?
Reality TV. Whether you despise it or it is your most guilty pleasure, there is a reason it continues to dominate the television set.
Shows like “Survivor,” “America’s Next Top Model” and “The Bachelor” are popular prime-time moneymakers that play up conflict to score ratings. Nevertheless, they depict some of the rawest human emotions most of us would be ashamed to have caught on camera.
Some call these shows immoral, tasteless and even inaccurate. What they fail to recognize is that they give people a sense of normalcy in their own lives.
The same can be said for other media outlets like television news shows, radio talk shows and the Internet. There is a reason why Perez Hilton can make a boatload off of his celebrity blog. People don’t love conflict; they are intrigued by it, held together by it. Now more than ever, we are allowed to indulge this curiosity.
The media historically has changed with society. Since television was invented, ratings have been the primary indicator of what should and should not air. In the news, and now in entertainment, everyday people are permitted to tell their stories to millions of viewers because we want to hear them.
We know more today about personality and mental disorders than ever before, more about contemporary social issues like gay rights and more about the challenges and triumphs that connect us. This is largely due to media influence.
And these outlets are not merely using these conflicts to exploit those they represent. They are using it to teach a lesson — a modern-day Aesop’s moral.
There is a reason why so many women flip on “Oprah” in the afternoon instead of reading a book, or watching a soap opera. They like to hear people’s stories, learn from them and apply what they learned in their own lives.
Sure, there are those that take the more scandalous approach, like VH1 with shows like “Rock of Love” or “Celebrity Rehab.” In the extreme, these shows still satisfy a basic human instinct to connect and understand, this leads to an increase in awareness above all.
Before A&E’s “Intervention,” for example, more drug addicts were viewed as merely unproductive outcasts from society. The show gives a voice to these people and reminds society that tragedy and hardship can happen to mothers, fathers, children and successful professionals.
If anything, the modern-day conflict portrayed through the media strengthens our bond as human beings. It progressively pushes barriers and brings out real emotion and empathy from its audience.
Americans should be outraged by terrible conditions faced by those in ravaged areas of the world like Haiti. They should care about the ridiculous back and forth of Congressional Republicans and Democrats. They should be concerned about who their children look up to, especially if they turn out to be cheaters and liars.
It’s not wrong for media to bring out the deepest emotions of their constituents. Instead, it is a healthy part of society if we are ever to progress.
Reach Nicole at ndgilber@asu.edu
