The Last Post

After studying a semester's worth of theorists, I find Bordieu one of my favorite theorists that we have done so far. As I read his essay, I was reminded of how similar news channels are in different parts of the world — be it a news channel from China, Singapore, or United States, and be it in Mandarin or English, Bordieu's argument bears strong in all cases: TV news "suits everybody because it confirms what they already know and, above all, leaves their mental structures intact" (254). Weather forecasts, hurricane alerts particularly, are able to manipulate mass viewership through fear. For example, a family will be more likely to stay in if the weather forecast suggests a 70% chance of precipitation. Similarly, this reminded me of news segments on the recent acts of violence all around the world — people watch news anchors report on the "anywhere, anytime" nature of mass shootings (or bombings) and become hesitant to go out the door. My friend has told me on many occasions that she never feels safe in public environments anymore; she no longer goes to movie theaters for fear of being a victim of a shooting. To live in a society too terrified to be a society sounds much like a plot line out of a cheap movie, but it seems to be slowly turning into reality. 

I recently downloaded the CNN app onto my iPhone and receive notification blurbs about new articles every hour. With the recent updates on the mass shooting in San Bernardino popping up every five minutes this past Thursday and Friday, I noticed how much more fearful I was of the outside than I ever had been in the past. It's interesting that the power of the news anchor on television has shifted to the simple ping of a notification on my iPhone — in every moment that my phone vibrates with a notification, the bubble of fear and hesitancy grows ever so slightly.