is ignorance really bliss?

Today at uni I had a lecture about the way local news relates to global news and I thought I would share what I learnt. It amazed me how ignorant we are to the media and how much control they have over our lives. Simple things, like the fact that Britain's news is about traffic jams and cold weather and yet we only hear about conflict and famish in Africa. Is it because we don't care about their other issues? Or is it simply because the media is a corporation in which relies solely on making money at our expense?

Although it is, of course, easy to blame the media as a whole for our own ignorance, it is more important to look at ourselves and think 'what could I do to help?' First of all, the media is never going to change: it is always going to be driven by money and power, we cannot change that fact no matter how hard we try. However, what we can change is what makes them money. The whole reason we are living in ignorance and nativity over these traumatic events occurring all around the world, is because the media believe that we don't want to see it. In my opinion, it's not about not wanting to see it, but instead about not needing to see it. If more of the population of developed countries could make the world their personal priority, it would most definitely become a better place to live in.

Through making people understand the events taking place every second around the world, instead of just worrying about that car crash on the M1 which will add 20 minutes to your journey home, maybe start to think about the famish in Africa, about Global Warming, about telve year old children being dragged into gangs. Start to think about the affect the news has on the people involved, not just how it will affect you. If we can show the media corporations that we actually, truly care about these issues, that's when we can make positive change. That's when they start showing the truth: when it becomes a topic that will make them money. As disgusting as that may be, it's how the world works, so try to make a conscious effort to make really important topics the highlight of the news, stop caring about how much botox Katie Price has had this week, and start caring about the real world you are living in. 

Moreover, it's interesting to think about famish in Africa: why are they famished? The fact of the matter is, first world countries like ourselves are causing this starvation without even realising it. The media have the power to make us aware of it too, but they simply only care about making money and through fear of us wanting to live in ignorance and swapping TV station, or reading a different news paper, they leave out the most important information. As I have learnt recently, countries with money are moving poor, African locals onto lands which they are unable to grow their own food, or have good water sources, simply so that They (the richest companies in the world) can make a fortune from they food they grow on cheap land with cheap produce.

Does this seem fair? No, of course it isn't! I love my food as much as the net person, and as a student I love it even more when it's cheap. But that doesn't mean I want third world countries to lose out on vital land, work etc just so I can get fat off that extra slice of cheese! We are all equal in this world and it's disgusting that people who are less well off are treated in this way by people who use their money and power to control the world. The media need to start showing the truth instead of worrying that its too much information for the general public to care about. Or even worse, for them to onl show horrific, graphic pctures of young children dying to make us donate to charities which more than likely don't even give the money to the poor people who need it most. Come on, it's our world and it's time we started to make a difference in it.

Jess.