Subjects Lacking Coverage

Wars, politics, and violence tend to receive continuous media coverage. In the midst of these really big conflicts, other stories that may seem less important are put on the back page or not reported at all.
Some of the stories labeled as less important are in fact worthy of public attention--some demand it.
For instance, the salmonella outbreak in a Georgia peanut plant that ships all over the U.S. Approximately 501 people in 43 states have been afflicted, and eight people have died. California is one of the states most affected from the outbreak.
If people are not aware that the FDA has warned people to avoid any foods containing peanut paste, the result can be deadly.
Luckily, this subject has been continuously covered on both the national and local newscasts. However, despite the fact that the outbreak continues, I haven't seen continuous coverage in The Mustang Daily or The Tribune.
A person who relies on the local newspaper for information may just end up a victim of salmonella poisoning.
Another subject that a person who reads the local newspaper and/or watches the local news would miss is information about a global warming study. The study, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, found that the effects of global warming are irreversible. Even if we stopped emitting carbon dioxide completely, the climate will not return to normal after 100 or 200 years. BBC released this information on their website.
This subject is important to the public because it communicates the extent of the environmental problems we must solve. The more aware the public is about the dire situation our environment is in, the more likely we will be able to collectively make the necessary changes to survive on this planet. Obviously, we need to start making changes now!
Beyond Earth, people are actually taking vacations in space. I find it fascinating that NASA is opening the space shuttle to those who are willing to pay a hefty price.
This story about space vacations appeared on the local news in the past, but I haven't heard or read anything about it since. I would be interested in learning more about this story out of curiosity.
It may be that more information on space isn't reported because of its lack of proximity to our daily lives. However, from an entertainment perspective, a story that describes people taking space vacations seems newsworthy to me.
Another newsworthy story that is lacking coverage ironically concerns the inauguration. Some people who attended the inauguration were told by police to go into an underground tunnel to reach the white house. These people ended up trapped in underground tunnels.
The story is being further investigated, but the initial makings of this story are not well publicized.
This story is important because in an event such as people being trapped, the media can draw enough attention to the subject so that more people are not left in a threatening situation in the future.

Information Overload?

In today's information age a person can end up overwhelmed with local, national, and international news. Between the array of newspapers, web articles, and television and radio newscasts, a person who regularly tunes into these multiple media forms is susceptible to media madness.
It is easy to obtain any news information desired. Want to know what is going in the local area? Read one of the local area newspapers, log on to the corresponding web page, or watch the local news channel. For those who desire a broader perspective of news events, national and international newspapers, television newscasts, and websites exist.
What happens when the ease of finding information turns into information overload?
We need to remember that we are in control of what we read, watch, and listen to. Even if we are in an environment with constant television, internet, and newspapers, we choose what we pay attention to.
As for the other extreme, the uniformed person consciously makes a choice not to tune in. An uninformed person may think that they are uniformed because they do not have enough time to catch up on current events. However, with the various channels of media available there is no excuse for ignorance.
It is effortless to become informed by choosing a media channel that compliments your daily routine. People who commute or spend a considerable amount of time in the car can tune into national public radio for the latest national news. People who work on a computer at some point during the day can easily go to a news website in order to catch up.
According to the L.A. Times, Americans are watching more T.V. than ever, averaging more than 142 hours a month! With so many hours spent in front of the television, the opportunity to become informed is only a click away.
With each different media form: print, online, and broadcast, the consumer receives information focused in different manners. For example, broadcast covers the major stories in a short length of time. Print media, such as newspapers and magazines, offers a wider variety of topics than a broadcast, but with less extensive subject coverage than an online media source. Online sources offer more articles to cross reference information with as well as interactive capabilities that the other channels do not offer.
Staying informed without overdoing it depends on choice and balance. A person needs to decide how much information they want to know, what type of news they seek (national, regional, local) and then match their needs with a media channel that fits their lifestyle. With so many options, we have the power to mold the media to our needs!
Dolph C. Simons Jr., owner and publisher of Journal-World, confirmed this idea of reader control when he said, "We want to stay abreast of new developments and be able to deliver news and advertising, as well as other information, however a reader may desire."