CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF MAINSTREAM MEDIA

with the laws of water; motor cars result from conformance with the laws of the land; airplanes develop from the conformance with laws of atmosphere. This complete conformance with the outside world is what every triumph of science basically is. But in journalism or the world of man, the very opposite is the case. One chapter of a book I read on journalism showed the principles that a journalist observes when compiling a story. These principles have been illustrated by a special term in journalism: Inverted Pyramid. For instance, a building, 21-storeys in height, is being constructed in town. When a journalist makes a story out of this, his first sentence will be: ‘21-storey building constructed’. Clearly, the 21st storey was the last thing to be built. First, the plan was laid; then the ground was prepared; then the foundations were dug, and construction started from the base until finally the top storey was erected. But, in the news report, it is the 21st storey that comes first. One can say that if science attaches importance to real value, then journalism attaches importance to news value. This contradiction in the two major departments of life has caused chaos on earth. The principles which we adopt in science with successful results, we fail to adopt in the rest of our lives; here, we put the contrary principles into practice. The result of this contradiction is that the success which we have obtained in science, we have not been able to obtain in ordinary life. We can, by scientific means, construct a superbly planned town, but in this same town, we cannot live superbly planned lives. Science has enabled us to manufacture machines which work with technical perfection, but we cannot make man fulfil his duty with the same technical perfection. The thing which is flashed most in the newspapers is that which has the most news value. The most successful press conference is one which is convened on some major public issue. We would like this situation to be changed. We would like to see the same realistic posture that is adopted in the world of physics, adopted in the world of man also. We must never forget that news items not only shape our opinions, but they also affect our mental health. Sensational or negative news items produce many untoward traits in humans. We must never forget that news items not only shape our opinions, but they also affect our mental health. Sensational or negative news items produce many untoward traits in humans.