Entry #3 The Leaning Tower of Media

As I’m sure most of you do, at least once or twice in a day, check some source of news be it a written article or the local or cable news station for the issues of the day. No one wants to be kept in the dark, and everyone wants to have that sense of "knowing" and "understanding" of what is happening around them. I know that I’m often checking in and keeping apprised of the latest topics plaguing the world "today."

However, there is something to consider as we tune in and watch or read the news as spouted from the mouths and/or hands of the media. The term is Bias and there are several ways in which the media will enact this type of mind control on the unsuspecting populace. This tactical warfare on information control is handled by “omission of facts,"“selection of sources," “selection of stories that lean heavily to one side," “story placement," “labeling," and “spin.”

For instance, the news stations have been currently toting the idea of raising minimum wage, lighting a fire under the low end worker to consider nothing other than the injustice of low pay. Howbeit, they shed light to nothing more than the struggling family hoping to make ends meet and gave little heed to the consequences. In fact, it wasn’t until 3 months later after Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price enacted his policy of giving all of his workers the same wages that reporters began seriously speaking –albeit slightly- of the negative effects in this endeavor. Though, this did not stop CBS from promoting minimum wage increases at Mc Donald’s and once again displayed only the positive side of minimum wage hikes, but nothing negative. Giving air time only to those that would spew a positive outlook to ensnare the unsuspecting ear.

They failed to report that the government agency calculated that raising the wage to just $10.10-an-hour would decrease company’s profit per employee by 71 percent, and cost the economy 500,000 low-wage jobs. And mind you this is a government agency saying this and so could you even imagine the impact it would have on our economy as whole if it were raised five dollars more? I can understand in places of high living costs such as New York or California, etc. to raise the wages a bit to meet demand, but is it really necessary to raise them nationwide?

In short, you should keep an open mind about the things you hear and research fully before adopting them into belief. Now how about your thoughts? Do you feel the media is biased? Or perhaps you have some thoughts on the matter of the minimum wage increase? Don’t be shy, feel free to share.