Questioning the media ch. 5

Q2:  How much television do you watch today?  Which programs do you try to watch regularly?  What attracts you to your favorite program(s)?

A:  Being a college student of today, I do not find myself watching too much television.  I simply do not have time to watch much and when I do I often find myself doing something more constructive.  However, there are a few shows that I really do enjoy watching.  Shows such as The Office, and Baseball Tonight are programs I will tune into if I happen to be sitting at the TV during the times they are aired.  I am drawn to this type of programming because I like to unwind watching comedy on TV or the baseball scores from the day.  Being a baseball player myself I find much of the news on Baseball Tonight very interesting.

Q3:  If you were a network television executive, what changes would you make in the programs that America watches?

A:  If I had the power to dictate the type of programming that America watches I would make a few minor changes.  I would mostly keep much of the programming the same but focus on cleaning up TV as I feel much of it these days are cultural garbage.  I would mainly put an end to most reality shows as these often depict unrealistic scenarios in which home viewers think they should relate with.  Also, much of this is setting people up to be made fun of on national television and I feel isn't necessary for the growth of our culture.

Q5:  How could television be used to improve social and political life in the US?

A:  I believe television could definitely serve as a key means of improving different aspects of life.  Because it is so widely viewed, television serves as a gateway to most homes and citizens.  Much of the programming on television is designed to entertain but often conveying wrong or no messages.  If this entertaining programming had stronger social messages and solid political values, a wide range of people who tune in regularly would be affected for the better.  People could make better decisions at the polls and be better off in social settings with this stronger foundation.  Instead of seeing the negatives in culture and trying to emulate them, people seeing the right messages could become stronger US citizens.