Jane Hall response: Megan Skelton

Jane Hall’s writing had an interesting affect on me that was fairly different from most of the readings this semester. I felt somewhat removed and found it difficult to become involved in the writing. It may have had something to do with the fact that I have a lot on my plate currently, but it may also have had to do with her writing seeming like a culmination of other people’s words and opinions. She did have an interesting outlook on media’s role in politics, war and it’s general effect on the public, however. And reading the FOX news transcript helped for me to get a better grasp on her actual opinion. I think whenever I read a piece of writing, I am looking to know exactly how they feel about a particular topic as well and get a sense of their overall personality and flair in the writing. With Hall, it was difficult for me to get that specific style.
The “New War” article jumped out in front of the rest to me because I got a much better feel of media’s involvement in the past, present and future wars. I knew that to be an embedded reporter or journalist in the field was a dangerous position, but I don’t think I realized to what extent. I’ve always had this vision in my mind of what an actual war battle is like, which I’m sure is far from reality, so that makes it difficult for me to imagine a journalist in the field. And on the same token, it never crossed my mind that American soldiers wouldn’t want journalists to be there. It makes sense I suppose because the media inevitably shapes our opinions for and against wars because it is basically the only information we receive as a general public.
How different would it be if the public was completely shielded from what was going on in Iraq? Would we be more sympathetic to the cause or just more enraged that we were left in the dark? People want to know the facts but it seems they also thrive on the gossip. We will criticize whoever seems most convenient for the time being, but when it comes down to it, I just want the truth.
Media’s election coverage is also an interesting topic of discussion because it is yet another thing that shapes the public’s opinions. In the Gore media coverage article, Hall shows how the media turned the public against Gore. Many of his statements (I invented the internet) were taken out of context to help form and guide the perception of Al Gore as a candidate. History repeated itself again this year with the recent election. Sarah Palin was basically attacked by the media, as was touched on in the Fox news transcript. If in fact the media does turn on Obama as his presidency nears it could mean a change in morale of the country. Anything that is said or done by Obama can and most likely will be used as leverage for the media to mold our outlooks.
Including myself in the general public, I wonder what we can expect for the future of media. How can we avoid the bias and pick out the truth from all of the different things we hear? The Internet is no doubt a possible solution but not the only one. Jane Hall seems committed to scrutinizing over these details and regurgitating her findings. I will be interested to speak with her in person about media and her predictions for the future.