Just a few days ago, humongous masses have queued in front of newspaper stands to catch a glimpse of the Myanmar Times or the Modern Journal. They all expected the same "The World is Ending," "Almighty Lord! Save Us," and so on. Every news headline or article are identical twins, maybe, with a mere difference in font. So, it turns out the print media is still popular and guess what? Every living soul still believes it's reliable! Every piece of news the press delivers us, whether it's a world-size asteroid or 'Adolf Hitler still lives,' has never turned out true? Has it?
Even NASA and every government confirmed there won't be a catastrophe on the so-called 'doomsday.' Then, why won't people just calm down and relax instead of scampering about in search of shelter and food? The answer is the television. All these years of exposure to films on how officials and experts are depicted as tricksters has initiated an 'expertophobia' in everyone. The media has shifted people's attention from the 'experts-with-scientific-proof' to 'experts-in-lying.'
I believe we all still remember the 2009's epic science-fiction movie, '2012.' Note the word 'fiction.' Yet, everyone failed to accept or even notice the camera tricks: the astounding sound effects, the sensational and shocking imagery and the dramatic, yet, thrilling chain of events of the broadcast media, nailed a larger impact on men than any newspaper account had. I can still recollect Jackson Curtis's 'expertophobia' when he yelled, "When they say don't panic, that's when you start running!" I can't solely blame Director Ronald Emmerich for his fraud 2012 phenomenon. It's for entertainment after all, but, one inflated to extremity. One just cannot differentiate reality from fantasy.
Several accomplices still loiter behind the scenes. No one would expect that the righteous and trustworthy news channels and documentary television programs would be responsible as well. Either it's the BBC or the Discovery Channel, the same tales appear on air again and again but the insanity of viewers get worse and worse. Maybe, we are just forced to misinterpret the vague language these channels deliver to us. Instead of directly announcing, "The World Will Not End," they use delusive expressions of possibility like "may not" or "perhaps," which really raise the anxiety level. I, myself, am a devotee of the Discovery Channel and yet, I can't help wondering why an authentic cable specialty channel like this would misguide us just to attract viewers? These informative channels have metamorphosed into entertainment shows!
Finally, there is this World Wide Web. The triple 'W's have been occupying our lives for over a decade, delivering us every tiny strand of up-to-the-minute material upon a mere click of the mouse. From such trivial matters as rainfall in China to national catastrophes like the 9/11 terrorist attack, this 'oracle' tells us all.
So, why can't people just browse for the actual meaning of the Mayan prophecy? The bitter truth is that websites revealing actuality are fewer than deceiving ones, chickening us out. In fact, this oracle has metamorphosed the initial 'knower-AND-teller-of-everything' to the 'knower-of-everything-BUT-teller-of-something-else!' In other words, these headlines online: "Tickets for Underground Bunker Rising to $1000" and "End of World Confirmed" are nothing but hyperbole and bluff.
And, do people buy this stuff? YES THEY DO! And, at the expense of their time and money. Last week was a disaster...since everyone's buying and hoarding provisions away for survival, the food price nearly doubled! I could merely afford 2 meals a day. There were riots and governors' speeches regarding this absurdity. People ought to see shame branded on their faces when the time arrived and nothing at all happened. And, does the media care for this? No way. Right now, I am sure every newspaper organization or film producer is preparing to breed another hot-doomsday-issue to scare the wits out of people.
The same business has been dealt with for the end of the world predictions in 1666 or more recently, at Y2K. People never learn. They trust the media just as they have faith in God. Using this example of the Mayan Prophecy, I want to raise awareness among people. Can we still trust the media for information? To what extent is it still reliable?
by
rbchen (student)
