Originally published on the CGS blog on July 12, 2013.
Alarming stories of the impact of climate change. Ever-changing developments in Egypt. A surge of anti abortion legislation in the U.S. Prison riots in Indonesia. Tales of bribery and corruption worldwide. But depending on how closely you read the news, you could miss some of this important information. Why is this?
Part of my responsibilities as a Research Associate at GlobalSolutions.org is to keep up with current events. This includes putting together a news report once a week so that our team stays well-informed on relevant issues. This past Wednesday, I was searching for news stories on Google, and the top item did not relate to anything listed above. Instead, showcased as one of the most important stories of the day, was an article on the eagerness of the world to know what Britain’s as yet unborn, but soon to be third in line to the British throne, royal baby, will be named.
Now, I definitely do not want to sound like someone who believes that being interested in pop culture is a bad thing. I am guilty of knowing more than I should about the Amanda Bynes saga or the narcissism of Justin Bieber. I also understand that not everyone can be one-hundred percent up to date on the news at every moment, simply because of the fact that it is news and therefore constantly changing. The problem arises when pop culture “news” or as it is sometimes called, “infotainment,” edges out authentic news, leading to a public that is less aware of the more important issues that truly affect their lives.
As I have learned, a less aware public can be dangerous. Part of the reasoning behind Globalsolutions.org’s #CoverClimate Campaign is the desire and need to increase public awareness about climate change by getting the major news outlets to better cover this serious and relevant matter. This is imperative because we believe that when people are more aware about the dangers of climate change, they will more forcefully and effectively advocate for action. This need to be aware applies to any issue – one has to know about a problem before attempts can be made to solve it.
Some might counter that everyone being more informed might be dangerous, because what if all of these newly knowledgeable people cannot agree with one another? But wait a minute – people already argue about everything – wouldn’t it be great if they could actually cite facts to back up their arguments?
Unfortunately, this can’t happen until politically relevant news receives at least an equal amount of coverage as Kim Kardashian’s baby or Gwyneth Paltrow’s diet. Part of the solution certainly lies in each individual becoming motivated to be more well-informed, but the media has a responsibility to make it easier by placing a greater emphasis on current and politically pertinent stories. More important than Kate Middleton’s baby’s name is the kind of world that his or her future royal highness will grow up in.
