Lazy Journalism

So after doing some things this past Saturday, I thought it was a fine time for a nap. I sat down with the remote control to see if there was anything on for a few minutes before I took a siesta. I flipped through the channels on the idiot box to find CNN with some talking head coming back from break. They started out introducing some story showing scenes from Santa Barbara and eluding to the fact that even there housing troubles had taken place. From there, a story was told of people who lost their home due to foreclosure. Specifically they follow a woman was a mortgage notary who is now living out of her car working for $8.00/hr and her monthly Social Security. She lost her condo a few months back when she lost her job and her daughter is living with friends. In her car, she is living with two full grown golden retrievers. There was quick side bar to this story when they showed another woman living in her car with four cats. She is asked what the toughest thing about living in her car and she responds hygiene.

I could sit here and criticize the subjects in the story on their decisions but that has nothing to do with this blog entry.
My issue – even more when I read the written story on their website is why this story was presented in such a sympathetic manner. On the particular program I watched, the host simply stated – with the field reporter next to her - what a sad story. Please note what I viewed is not shown in the linked in this entry.

Why was this presented in such a tale of woe? Of course I know the answer to this question and that is because people would rather be sympathetic to another’s cause especially on the idiot box where it makes for good viewing. Neither the host nor the reporter asked “Why doesn’t the woman move to another area that is not dropping like an economic balloon?” or “Why doesn’t she rid of the dogs?” They don’t inquire why the woman does not contact her children living out of the country know her living status but she goes on CNN. Did anyone inquire why that was the case?

This is a constant trend in television news which is one reason I don’t watch the idiot box. As much as there is on right now, I find it remarkable there is even a market for it based on this very lazy journalism.