How to Watch TV News (1992) (7.1/10)

Neil Postman offers a six-point guide on how to watch television news critically. The first step is to be aware of the fact that most news programs are structured around entertainment values rather than informational ones. This means that the goal of the news program is not necessarily to inform the viewer, but to keep them watching. As a result, viewers should be aware of the techniques that news programs use to keep them engaged.

The second step is to understand that the information presented in a news program is always filtered through the lens of the person or organization producing the program. This means that it is important to be aware of the biases of the people creating the news program. The third step is to remember that television news is designed to appeal to as many people as possible, which means that it often oversimplifies complex issues. The fourth step is to be aware of the fact that television news relies heavily on visuals, which can often be misleading.

The fifth step is to realize that much of what is presented as news on television is actually nonsense. This includes things like weather forecasts, celebrity gossip, and sports scores. The final step is to accept that there is no such thing as objective reality, and that all news stories are subjective interpretations of events. By keeping these six points in mind, viewers can watch television news with a critical eye and avoid being manipulated by the media.

Neil Postman was an important thinker whose work spanned several disciplines including media studies, education, and cultural criticism. This guide provides a brief overview of some of his most important works. I hope it will be helpful for anyone looking into this significant thinker’s body of work.

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