Sixth in a series of stories by Hunter students describing their communities and especially focusing on their methods and strategies for getting important news information that could effect their lives.
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My neighborhood is a cloister of communities that make up Flatbush, in Brooklyn. It is plagued by obesity, low infant birth weight and sexually transmitted diseases, such as Chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
As for crime rate, my chances of becoming a victim are 1 in 144, according to the crime stats. Some of the information that surprised me was the low rate of drug related hospitalization among drug abusers. The neighborhoods considered within my zip code are Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, and Prospect Leffert Gardens, so the statistics are a little off for my immediate neighborhood.
My neighborhood largely consists of immigrates from the English speaking Caribbean and their children and in some cases grandchildren. Since it is like this, a lot of the businesses are Caribbean owned; we also have a small population of Mexicans, Asians (mostly Chinese and Korean) and Arabic men (they own and work in the corner stores in the neighbourhood to support their families in the Middle East).
I would like to say that we all get along but the majority of times we do not, the prejudice against people from different islands still exist among some of the adults. As far as the children are concerned we could care less.
Because of the background of my community, a lot of the information that is heard about from “back home” is by word of mouth. But with the raise of technology many of the Caribbean islands are developing websites for the people in America to get the news from back home. As a result many adults in my parents’ generation are learning to use the computer.
Most of the residents who make up my neighborhood are blue collar employees doing the jobs that are mostly forgotten by American citizens. They are the underbelly that makes the city work, the ones who are numerous but then again barely counted. America is the dream, but back home is the reality. Many came and left decent jobs in their home countries in order for their children to succeed and many just came for a better life.
When it comes to American news, many people think of it in different ways. I see it as mostly opinion with some fact. The newspapers, television broadcasts, morning and evening and world news content and local news all provide “experts” opinions on particular topics. For me, American news is just another piece of entertainment. In a world where we are all bombarded by images both negative and positive, where ratings and sales mean more than getting the real messages across, what are the news media to do rather than sell themselves to the masses?
The world of news media has become increasingly about disseminating more entertainment than vital information.
Over my lifespan I have gone from being a dedicated viewer of the 10 o’clock news to just watching it for the weather. Now the news has become just another television show that I watch whenever there is “something good on.” Broadcast media has become like my old book of nursery rhythms: I have outgrown them. But now that I believe that I have outgrown this form of news where do I go to find out what is going on in this world?
I mostly rely on my computer and read about the major headlines posted on various websites. I know that most news is the same recycled stories that are just read in my own voice other than a newscaster’s. I have also resorted to checking my friend status updates on facebook as another form of “news.”
For example when the government increased the amount of money that a parent could receive per child for food stamps, I learned about it through my friends outraged status remarks on facebook. If I am going to watch entertainment I might as well get some jokes as I go along.
On the rear chance that I am home for the BBC World news on Channel Thirteen, it is my source for world news and mostly American world news, since the American media tends to “forget” many of the minor details to reveal to its public. Also since the American news has neglected to provide good coverage about the War in Iraq, it is nice to receive updates.
Selfishly my major concerns as far as news goes is what will or might affect me and my lifestyle. During the last few years of the Bush administration, when rumors were stirring up that it might reinstate the draft, I watched the news every night and vigorously cursed out all of the members of the Bush party. Now with the current economic crunch that the country is in as far as unemployment, I am hoping that after graduation in January that I do not have to go back to my current job. Another issue that is slowly seizing my attention is health care because after January I will no long be covered under my parent’s health insurance. I am hoping in some way that Obama’s promise of change will take effect within the next four or five months.
In the New York Times opinion piece that I chose and found very interesting was written by Clark Hoyt, and it was called “The Health Care Sprawl”. It systematically describes in great details, the health care debate and many of the issues that surrounds it, including the public option vs. single payer option, the lack of information provided by the media to the public, and other sources of information which are inaccurate or exaggerated.
The article mentions a blog by the name of Prescriptions, it is regarded as the go to place for getting all of the facts on the health care debate. Hoyt describes the blog as offering “multiple daily posts on breaking events or related issues, like whether overweight people should pay more for health insurance.” (Hoyt, 10.11.09) The prospect of overweight Americans having to possibly spend more for health coverage would directly affect people in my neighborhood because of the high rates of obesity and my low income neighbors. This part of the law if passed would still leave many Americans without proper coverage because they cannot afford it.
This blog is not your everyday public forum, it provides a greater services like “links to recent news articles in The Times and elsewhere, primers comparing the various Congressional health plans, examinations of health systems in other countries, answers to frequently asked questions, explainers on topics like insurance exchanges, and even a history of past efforts to change the health care system.” (Hoyt, 10.11.09) It even provides links to past congressional bills, making this blog a person’s one-click research tool.