Newswipe - Charlie Brooker

We watched this documentary hosted by Charlie Brooker on bias news in the media.
I like his honesty in this programme as it's good to see a journalist/presenter in the spotlight poking fun at our society and media where others would join the bandwagon and partake in the jostling of frantic journalists and politicians.
He interviewed Dan Gardner, a Canadian journalist who says that fear plays a big part in the media; fueling dramatic stories and rumours. Gardner says that the media loves dramatic catchphrases and headlines that will shock the public and convince them that "this" will happen or that you "need to do something or else".
He states that people will die more from having diabetes than tornadoes and terrorist attacks, ever.
There was also a virus and a civil war in Africa. The Western media decided to run the virus situation as the civil didn't fit in with Western storylines, so there is no interest.
When the public believe the stories are more related to them, they are more palatable to run and convince the public.

The recent snow epidemic has also gained thousands on column inches in the past couple of months.
This is again due to the media installing fear and irrationality into the public; people started to bulk-buy and shops ran out of food.
Because of media headlines and news coverage, people became scared of going outside.
The media basically exaggerated the situation by magnifying the problems and going to press with them.

As this programme is hosted by a comedian, it sheds light at the subject and humours the media in a sly way.
His sarcastic comments and facial gestures mimic those of the public; the ones who don't believe the hype anyway, and it's refreshing to see a T.V personality doing this.
Throughout the programme clips of the weather conditions and numerous traffic jams are shown, and it almost imitates the news coverage.
He replicates the newsreaders' speech and heightened fear in their voice, which we laugh at as an audience because we aren't easily fooled, and we've seen those gestures acted out on news programmes ourselves.

Generally I'm not a fan of Brooker, but the way he presented this show was admirable, as i warm to those who share the same views as I do; which he showed as he mocked the news.
Overall it was a good documentary piece; it also made us feel comfortable while watching and it said what we were all thinking about the media.