Response
A response to my previous post I've discovered has left me a tad livid, so I respond to the response here:
No where in my previous blog was there a suggestion that anything, that lead me to conclude that the life of that young girl has been made tragic, had anything to do with the media's particular account, or that her state in the world might be awful simply, or somehow measurably more awful, 'cause it is made in a news media frenzy to seem that it happens a lot (see below for more on that).
Secondly, children are not as "the rest of us," if by that the responder meant adults. Sure, to over idealize even children serves no real purpose, but to respond a a child's tortured death--and yes a child versus an adult since children DO require and rely on adult care and protection (children are not miniature adults and moving from childhood to adulthood is not about simple socialization but about real psychological and psyiological maturation)--is boldly misdirected and should be rethought.
As for that part of the response dealing with news media theory, specifically "anxietyculture.com," I would suggest instead reading Chomsky for a general critique of the news media's manipulation of events, and creation of psuedo crises and the so-called culture of fear. As for the suggestion that the horror I expressed in an 11 year old being beaten into a coma by her caregivers was deemed horrific due to that same media manipulation, is further misguided. The ONLY story I've seen on this particular 11 year old beaten into a coma by her stepfather was absent of (minus it being covered at all by the media at all, of course) the broader "sky if falling, all our children are at risk, keep them at home" media bullshit (which I admit exists).
Certainly, that beaming smile in the photo was likely chosen in much part because it might pull at heartstrings. And indeed, that it did with me -- it personalized the story and made me feel pain for a wee lass I don't and won't ever know except through the 150 word news brief and photo. Yes, (thanks Chomsky) that created an unreal context for me. But once in a while, and most certainly perhaps in this type of incident, a bit of de-contextualized sadness for someone I don't know just might be a fucking good thing.
While getting dragged into a media theory discussion is utterly, emotionally counter to my initial response to a young girl being left a vegetable at violent adult hands, I will, however, also point the responder to two books that might provide more depth (although I've never been to the website) than anxietyculture.com. 1) "It Ain't Necessarily So: How Media Make and Unmake the Scientific Picture of Reality" by Murry Schwartz and Lichter. 2) "Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians and Activists" by Best. One is considerably longer than the other, but reading both will allow the reader to avoid thinking about those kids whose lives suck, generally, or about one particular 11 year old lying in a coma.
Surely 9/11 confirmed that the culture of fear is rigorously manufactured -- whether it's fear of terrorists or letting our children play alone in a park. But telling the world that a kid is likely to die when doctors yank her breathing tube doesn't always get reported with an agenda to whip up fear that every kid is at risk for ending up like that. Sometimes the news media remains about sharing our community stories. When bad people do things to our most vulnerable we need to know about it -- not in sickening vivid detail, but to better protect ourselves and our vulnerable, and for the non-cynical to believe that society can mature to a point where 11 year old girls with beaming smiles won't get those smiles wiped off their faces.
No where in my previous blog was there a suggestion that anything, that lead me to conclude that the life of that young girl has been made tragic, had anything to do with the media's particular account, or that her state in the world might be awful simply, or somehow measurably more awful, 'cause it is made in a news media frenzy to seem that it happens a lot (see below for more on that).
Secondly, children are not as "the rest of us," if by that the responder meant adults. Sure, to over idealize even children serves no real purpose, but to respond a a child's tortured death--and yes a child versus an adult since children DO require and rely on adult care and protection (children are not miniature adults and moving from childhood to adulthood is not about simple socialization but about real psychological and psyiological maturation)--is boldly misdirected and should be rethought.
As for that part of the response dealing with news media theory, specifically "anxietyculture.com," I would suggest instead reading Chomsky for a general critique of the news media's manipulation of events, and creation of psuedo crises and the so-called culture of fear. As for the suggestion that the horror I expressed in an 11 year old being beaten into a coma by her caregivers was deemed horrific due to that same media manipulation, is further misguided. The ONLY story I've seen on this particular 11 year old beaten into a coma by her stepfather was absent of (minus it being covered at all by the media at all, of course) the broader "sky if falling, all our children are at risk, keep them at home" media bullshit (which I admit exists).
Certainly, that beaming smile in the photo was likely chosen in much part because it might pull at heartstrings. And indeed, that it did with me -- it personalized the story and made me feel pain for a wee lass I don't and won't ever know except through the 150 word news brief and photo. Yes, (thanks Chomsky) that created an unreal context for me. But once in a while, and most certainly perhaps in this type of incident, a bit of de-contextualized sadness for someone I don't know just might be a fucking good thing.
While getting dragged into a media theory discussion is utterly, emotionally counter to my initial response to a young girl being left a vegetable at violent adult hands, I will, however, also point the responder to two books that might provide more depth (although I've never been to the website) than anxietyculture.com. 1) "It Ain't Necessarily So: How Media Make and Unmake the Scientific Picture of Reality" by Murry Schwartz and Lichter. 2) "Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians and Activists" by Best. One is considerably longer than the other, but reading both will allow the reader to avoid thinking about those kids whose lives suck, generally, or about one particular 11 year old lying in a coma.
Surely 9/11 confirmed that the culture of fear is rigorously manufactured -- whether it's fear of terrorists or letting our children play alone in a park. But telling the world that a kid is likely to die when doctors yank her breathing tube doesn't always get reported with an agenda to whip up fear that every kid is at risk for ending up like that. Sometimes the news media remains about sharing our community stories. When bad people do things to our most vulnerable we need to know about it -- not in sickening vivid detail, but to better protect ourselves and our vulnerable, and for the non-cynical to believe that society can mature to a point where 11 year old girls with beaming smiles won't get those smiles wiped off their faces.
posted by Heipel at
9:19 PM
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