McChesney vs. McKibben

Robert McChesney in his book ‘The Problem of the Media’ discusses how the media system works in the United States and the myths associated with the media. He also illustrates how the media system has failed us through due to the problems associated in the media. On the other hand, Bill McKibben in his book ‘The Age of Missing Information’ describes his extreme experiences. In one 24 hour period, he gets people to tape one channel each on the television, and then watches each channel at a stretch. He does this because he wants to know what programs are shown on television in one 24 hour period.In contrast to this experience, he spends another 24 hours in the mountains,cutting himself from all media. Through his experiences he explains how we are replacing fundamental information with artificial information and how television makes us stupid and unaware of our surroundings. He also states that due to an overdose of media, people are now disengaged from the real world.



Both these authors explain how hyper commercialism and advertising have become an integral part of media and how they bring about an increase in consumption. McChesney says that advertising emerged as a response to the needs of corporate commercialism, and is “crucial to building brand identity.”(McChesney, 141)Through emotional experiences, advertising meets our desires, and shows us what we want to see. In addition,it leads to an increase in consumerism and an increase in people’s wants and needs soon becoming “consumerism on steroids” (McChesney, 143). Consumption becomes addictive, not allowing us to be satisfied; yesterday’s luxuries become today’s necessities and no matter what people’s incomes are, they always want what others have. Even a solution for consumption is more consumption. McKibben in his book explains that already owning something is not enough reason for people not to buy it again. He gives an example of “Pearle Vision insisting that you need two pairs of glasses so that your frames can match your mood.”(McKibben, 125)It is television that teaches us that material things bring happiness, and that growth and consumption is the only path to being content.



With the continuous increase in consumption, economic growth has become our goal. We are never satisfied, and always want to build more, produce more, sell more and make more. “People acquire more money, and buy more things with it, and the economy grows, creating more jobs and more prosperity…growth in income, growth in consumption, growth in convenience and comfort-all seem absolutely obvious to us, as obvious that a beautiful day is a sunny day.”(McKibben, 105)McKibben believes that Television encourages growth. He says that although growth is good in the short run, in the long run population growth will use up all of the worlds resources. He gives an example of an ABC newsman reporting a flood in Texas to be the cause for Wal-Mart’s low sales. McChesney talks about how media focuses on the market perspective instead of the public sphere perspective. Media’s only motive is growth, and profit. By using commercials, and the concept of consumerism, it intensifies profit making, thus focusing on the market perspective. As our economy continues to expand, there will be a point where the earth will not be able to sustain consumption the way we do. Our generation is faced with a challenge. How much will be enough? When will be satisfied and not want further growth? “The question is, does it make sense for us any longer- is it automatically cheerful news that the American economy is busily expanding? Or, like Californians in a drought, should we perhaps raise the tops on our convertibles and welcome little rain?”(McKibben, 106)



Another aspect both these authors discuss is how the quality of media has deteriorated. We are provided with fluff, and being media consumers, to some extent it is our fault that we encourage media to provide us with this fluff. In a way, the media is giving us what we want; but it is also possibly the media’s fault since it is from a young age that we are trained to watch this fluff. Instead of providing us with information and knowledge, the television is dumbing us down. It has brought about “a loss of information about our bodies that has enriched the lives of most members of every previous generation.”(McKibben, 197) The media has worsened to an extent that their only motive is profits, which they generate through constant advertisements. These advertisements at times compromise journalistic integrity since “Advertisers often pressure networks to have their particular message incorporated into the editorial content as much as possible” (McChesney, 144) It can also be seen that media provides us with information that stirs up controversies and increases viewers. They provide us with sensationalism, and information that does not teach us much. When Rihanna was abused by Chris Brown, the media sensationalized it, and articles could be seen or heard in news papers, magazines, on the radio and the television. It was everywhere; and was the headlines. This makes us wonder that when there are more important issues in the world such as global warming and nuclear wars, the media chooses to cover celebrity relationships. The media also provides very narrow and limited perspectives. We are provided with limited ideas, and from this restricted menu provided by media, we have to choose.



Further, we have limited perspectives of diversity that is inherent within different cultures and societies since concentration and conglomeration play a major role in the media industry. There are a small number of big companies in control, whose main motive is to make profits. Due to concentration in the industry, freedom of speech is reduced and a diverse range of perspectives are not portrayed. Cross promotion and advertising and blockbusters are the cause for synergy. In a democracy, journalism has three major roles-“journalists need to act as watchdogs of the powerful, or those who wish to be powerful; to ferret out truth from lies and to present a wide range of informed positions on key issues.”(McChesney, 57) Instead, media owners today act as lapdogs of those who are in power. They work with and for those who have power rather than against them. McKibben explains the concept of the ‘global village’ where we let go of our diversity and differences and incorporate a perspective that brings us all together. He says that the content of the global village can be “successfully translated across languages, customs, climates, political tendencies, religions and the other varied circumstances of people’s lives-a certain range of consumer products.” (McKibben, 49) The world of television homogenizes everything. It tells us we have everything in common even though we do not. Television’s global village provides us with very little variety, and information is wiped away in order to make communication easier.

Both McChesney and McKibben believe that the quality of the media has deteriorated. They are aware that although the media has potential to improve, and be more informative, the conglomerates need to provide viewers with more perspectives on global and social issues such as global warming. As consumers, we need to become more self aware and reduce our consumption, otherwise future generations will have to pay a price for our stupidity and lack of understanding. We must also make an effort to be more aware of our environment, and the damage media causes. Finally, we must try avoiding to lose information, and use our senses when we can instead of depending on media for small things such as the weather update.