Stetoscope

The symbolic violence of the old media reaches its peack when it comes to the TV daily news.

Why is it, even symbolicaly, “violent”? I see two sides of this symbolic violence

First, as every TV program it has been selected by someone else than you. But in the daily news on TV the deeds are real. Channels selects the events that are supposed to be “importants” for you. Second they add a specific tone supposed to suit most to the situation. Eventually the channel broadcasts its own view of the world. The third violence is that nobody can reply so it is just like propaganda, channels broacast an opnion that the audience must follow or switch off.

Second is just the way we feel about TV news. I do not know for you but I feel small, powerless with a pinch of guilt due to my quiet happy life so far from the bomb attacks, tsunami’s, wars, politics, financial turmoils, starvation and dying africa… Indeed those news are not for me. In my life I worry about, my familly, my friends, my colleague, my work, … Indeeed the news that have direct implications on my life or the events you could act on. The TV daily news are generally interesting like a general background for citizenship, but there is no possibility to act or give my opinion. Here is the violent part: “the TV chanel speaks I feel just like if I had to listen to it carefully”. It is unbearable, I cannot see why I should listen to them more than anyone else.

The Jon Stewart daily show make me feel better because it just laughs at this “top down” tone that TV journalist have reproduced trough decade without picturing what they were doing. That is why it is so good to show the absurdity  of the reports choices made by TV chanel, the groundless comments about very touchy subjects… And so on. I am a great fan of Jon Stewart because he gets a rise out of his highness TV daily news and has chosen the people side.

Click here is the map about Jon Stewart (just click play and press the arrows)