The Media: an omissive spectacle

The press ignores the unentertaining but crucial stories that impact the life of the everyday man.

Welded firmly to the world of entertainment, it is a rule that the media put on a spectacle rather than be speculative; it pans its cameras towards a closed-off, blood-fuelled arena where politicians, celebrity icons and sport stars battle their rivals for supremacy in their respective theatre of war. Whether the stakes are electoral votes or public attention, the media are reliant on the drama, the many twists and turns of the plot which Hollywood script writers deploy to snatch the audience’s eyeline.

As expected, this leads to the press ignoring the unentertaining but crucial stories that impact the life of the everyday man. For this month, the cameras have been beholden to the so-called ‘Partygate’ scandal, with each new revelation serving as a shot of heroin pumped straight into the voice box of the numerous talking heads trying to turn the mudslinging between ‘Boris’ Johnson and his enemies into a nature documentary.

Two courtroom showdowns, ruthlessly fought between a divorced couple and two footballer’s wives have somehow – somehow – swallowed more of the media’s laptop keystrokes than necessary. Call it ‘Wagatha Christie’ all you wish, the case won’t be remembered when the judge’s gavel comes down for the final time.

Far below this, of course, are the everyday issues that matter. An important tale which barely graced the frigid depths of the media informed us that the average house price, already at levels unaffordable to millions, rose by roughly £50,000 throughout the course of the pandemic. News which is not pleasing to the ear during the dress rehearsal of a cost-of-living crisis. Another story warning of adverse fiscal weather was that the energy price cap is due to ascend by another £800 come October. You know, the time of year where it starts to get freezing.

While these reports are picked up and published by the press, they exist only as a footnote. The BBC broadcast may begin with Partygate, then transition briefly to Johnny Depp, moving onto a quick update on a war fought thousands of miles away, then – at long last - notify us on something worthwhile, such as any developments relating to the cost-of-living crisis. The beginning of tomorrow’s broadcast carries the same formula with the conclusion altered, so tomorrow’s broadcast may not be connected to the hardship ordinary people are currently facing.

A recent celebrity death or a forgotten 90s boyband releasing a new album would be considered a worthy replacement by the techno-wizards dwelling in the studio. So, the initial problem remains. The priorities are mismatched, some may say by design. We, as the gullible consumer, are told that we should care deeply about year-old photos of the Prime Minister raising a toast, or Her Majesty’s Opposition tucking into a vindaloo (while missing the point that the draconian rules in place were illegitimate from the get-go).

We should be counting the number of teardrops that fall from Mrs. Vardy’s face, rather than reaching for the tissues ourselves upon hearing the Bank of England’s dire projection that inflation will soon hit ten per cent. Although I doubt the minds of the masses will be able to hold their emotions in check if they were notified of the real issues that matter.