media savvy

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hi folks,
I am well aware my colleagues have all submitted their own final entries and it is now (with much blinking back of tears and gnashing of teeth) I sign off also.
I guess if I had to appraise the comparative media situation in New Zealand and the Midwest then it is that New Zealand, as far as print media goes, is in very good hands. The news saturation in The States means there are few excuses for people to wander around uninformed. That is not to say they don't. Local news stations, papers, even regional or state outlets, have a fairly narrow focus. I grew up in NZ with papers divided according to their spatial origin. Local news (be it town, district or city centric) may be found in the first section: the national section. SectionB is where the world news lies unless its gravity is so damaging to the World Order it warrants front page coverage, SectionC is normally lifestyles, and D features sports. Sector7G is where Homer Simpson works and has little to no bearing here. But I digress.
I found very little national and international news in The States. Which is not to say there was none, of course there was. But I guess in a federation, as is the US, any legislative focus features the powers that be and they, more often than not, are confined to state capitols. Black and white pages, black and white photos, and massive tracts of text were common in the provincial dailies, the metro rags boasted much of the colour.
TV stations and radio stations permeated much of the local scene and this was a refeshing change to New Zealand. Coverage of school sports and cultural events (often televised) is a major plus for the US schools, students and television audience alike, and will not likely be replicated in this country in the near future.
Obviously, the news-scope is far greater in America, it was soon apparent that "big" was not merely a Texas trait. More people, equals more businesses, equals more money, equals more advertising. The filter effect gives rise to several radio stations with more concentrated local audiences, and competition can only serve to up the quality of the broadcast.
It came as no surprise to me that some of the world's richest and most influential men and women made their name in the newsmedia. While internet news constitutes a threat to some of the traditional print packages, I believe newspapers are a timeless classic, here to stay, and an integral part of modern society. As long as people have beds and dressers to sell, and double-page shop-sale features to promote, there will be newspapers. And as long as working days which start and finish at predetermined times of the day, and loose change jingles in suit and slack pockets, there will be a ready supply of people to read them.
seeya later. mate

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