Blogocentric Formulations

Sensationalism Where There Isn't Any

It's been awhile since I've ranted about anything in my blog, so here goes (you've been warned ):

What really gets to me is when the media blows something completely out of proportion, just so they have something to talk about. I'm sure living in a big city exacerbates the problem, but it seems like every time I turn on the news or read an article, everybody's jumping to extreme conclusions just so there's something to talk about in what would otherwise be a relatively brief and unforgettable moment.

Take the case of Roger Federer for example. (I'm using tennis because the U.S. Open is wrapping up.) Despite what you may think of the man personally, or perhaps more accurately, whether you buy into the "Greatest of All Time" argument or not, there's no question that the man has had an exceptional tennis career. He holds the following records (most grand slam titles (16), most consecutive weeks at number one (237), most consecutive grand slam titles (5 Wimbledon, 5 U.S. Open), most consecutive semifinal appearances (23... the previous record was 10), most consecutive quarterfinal appearance (30 - and still counting), one of only seven players to win a career grand slam (winning all four grand slam events), and trust me... the list goes on and on. If not truly the greatest tennis player of all time, certainly one of the greatest, and definitely the most consistent.

The problem is now Roger's on the back nine of his career. He just turned 30 this year, he has a family now, and there's not a whole lot left in tennis that he hasn't accomplished. He's not displaying the sheer dominance that he did in his best years where he was all but unbeatable, and now every time he loses a match, commentators and journalists start talking about how he's finished. How he'll never win another slam or how he just doesn't have what it takes anymore.

The thing is, he's still regularly making it to the quarterfinals or semifinals... which means he's making it into the final eight (or four) players from a competition that starts with 128... every single time. He's still the #3 ranked player in the world, and when he loses, it's rarely to anyone who's not the #1 or #2 player (both of whom are six years younger than he is and in the prime of their careers), and almost never to anyone outside the Top 15 players. Most importantly, it's not like the matches are complete blowouts either. Yesterday's semifinal against Novak Djokovic went to 7-5 in the fifth set... one game short of a deciding tiebreaker. Federer even held match points toward the end (but couldn't convert). Djokovic, by comparison, is 24 years old and... at 63-2 with 10 (possibly 11 if he win the U.S. Open on Monday) titles... is having one of the most astounding years in tennis history. And Federer almost beat him. Djokovic has been decimating opponents left and right, and Federer nearly beat him yesterday. Not to mention that one of those two losses was the work of Federer. (The other one was a retirement, which means Federer is actually the only one to have beaten him outright this year).

Sure, maybe Roger's not #1 at the moment, and maybe he's not dominating every event like he used to... but he's still right up there with the best players in the world. So the fact that he just barely lost a semifinal match to the #1 player in the world... or that 2011 is the first year since 2002 that he hasn't won a grand slam... is a bit premature to say that his career is all but over. And yet, the commentators and the media... every time he loses a match or doesn't win a title, starts talking about how his days are numbered. I just don't understand why it always has to be all or nothing. You're either the best of the best, or you might as well throw in the towel. There is no middle ground anymore.

But sensationalism isn't just in sports and for competitive athletes.

In 2005, there was a train wreck in Glendale, California that involved someone abandoning their vehicle on the tracks. Supposedly, the vehicle's owner intended to commit suicide, then changed his mind and abandoned the vehicle on the tracks. Unfortunately, it was on the tracks of a commuter train, which was derailed and killed 11 people. It was a pretty awful incident, but it was made infinitely worse by the local news stations, one of which even had a "Killer Train Week" where they had all kinds of interviews and special reports about how dangerous trains are... including a live re-enactment of an old train running into a car and derailing. All week they talked about how dangerous trains are, and how trains need to be made less dangerous for the public's safety... all because there was an awful train wreck that was caused by an idiot parking his car across the tracks. It boggled my mind that they basically downplayed the entire accident itself, because they were more interested in scaring the hell out of people about train safety.

And then, of course, there was Carmageddon.

If you didn't hear about that, the busiest freeway in the United States is Los Angeles' 405 Freeway, which sees more than half a million cars a day drive over it. They needed to close the freeway to work on an overpass. The freeway was closed from Friday night at midnight to the middle of the night on Sunday night... well outside the window for commuter traffic. Naturally, they made announcements months in advance, advising people to stay away from the freeway that weekend. But as it got closer, the media started releasing reports that sent people into a frenzy. People were theorizing that you'd get stuck on the freeway for twelve hours if you ran into traffic; hospitals put up their doctors and nurses in nearby hotels so they wouldn't have to drive home; some people rented helicopters to get them around town that weekend; even the mayor told people to get out of town if they could, or at least avoid leaving the house, as if it we were in a state of emergency or something.

I think it's sad that people feel the need to play up stories, jump to conclusions, and stir people up. I miss the times when the news was just the news... objective reporting and semi-objective reporting, where the goal was to inform rather than to scare, rile, agitate, or concern.