Monday, February 15, 2010

Snack Time

Something struck me when I caught the phrase "info snacking" in Journalism class. Snacking on information just to get a taste of what is going on in the news. Is there anyone else out there guilty of this indulgence? I definitely am guilty! With a busy shedule and little time for outside reading, I find myself catching a few phrases of a paper in order to keep up with the "real world". I glance through and read headlines, maybe the intro and conclusion to a paper, but then I am satisfied enough to move on to other things.
Is it wrong to info snack? If I don't find myself intrigued by an article, I generally don't pay attention the entire way through. Am I really getting the news? I do what I can to get by, but even if I had the chance to sit down and read a paper entirely, I have to admit that I probably would not.
I'm sure that just as I "info snack" on the news, students info snack, or fake read, in EVERY subject. "Info snacking" is not targeted to the media source, people everywhere info snack constantly.
But if we are trying to change the info snacking of media by changing content, then how can we change the info snacking of students across the nation? What will it take to get students to critically read material? So much can be lost in catching snippets of information.
We've got the facts down, but let's get down to the art of the matter.
How is journalism being written so that it is interesting and intriguing all the way through? I highly doubt we are running out of creative writing or journalism majors, but how can they help in the process of drawing in thorough readers?
To keep the "news" in news may not be difficult if done correctly and unbiasedly. What is difficult is writing creatively about subjects which may otherwise bore us.
I think pushing writers to invent new ways of presenting truthful news will contribute to saving the media industry. When an interest sparks in an uninteresting topic, (whether that be through the way it is taught or written) we will be on our way to a satisfying "meal" of information rather than a mid-afternoon snack.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Anna, you need to blog more frequently -- at least once per week. Also, remember to include hyperlinks and tags.

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