CPCF 1F25: Is the fake news the real news?

The media plays a very important part in educating society about what is happening in the world today. Traditional news programs such as CNN and CTV News provide viewers with information that is “politically correct.” They follow specific guidelines laid out by the network when presenting the news. Satirical news on the other hand, such as programs like The Rick Mercer Report and the Daily Show, use humour, irony, ridicule, etc. to get their message across regarding the news.

I believe that it is legitimate to suggest that these satirical news channels are in fact considered a mainstream form of “culture jamming.” As the textbook says, “The objectives of culture jamming often include consciousness raising (raising awareness of social and political issues) as well as using the media to criticize the media and dominant culture” (O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, p. 214). Shows such as the Rick Mercer Report have raised awareness for many different social and political issues locally, nationally, and globally. Although some people may believe that these shows cross the line at times, as they often tend to criticize certain issues, they are very informative and bring light to news reports.

 

Chapter 14 states that, “Culture jamming techniques can also be used simply to be clever or funny, without a political or critical motives” (O’ Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, p. 214). As mentioned, this type of news does not always educate people on different issues in the world, but rather make people aware of different community events, organizations, sports, etc. in a humorous and original way. I have a personal connection with The Rick Mercer Report show as he did a segment on the importance of Women’s Fastpitch at the University level in Ontario. This segment was meant to bring awareness to the sport, as a majority of the teams were not being recognized by their University and it is not considered a varsity sport. Members from my Brock softball team were featured during the segment, along with those from other Universities.

 

I believe many people are drawn to these types of shows, as they are humorous – they are not as dry and boring as traditional news programs, they are inclusive, creative, and relatable to many. I believe that they are definitely a useful addition to the public spear, as they provide a different insight to world events and issues in different ways than traditional news programs do. You can tell from the mass number of viewers that people enjoy satirical news, and I believe it will continue to be popular for a long time.