Crisis and Czech journalists: there is a connection

It may sound strange from a journalist with 11-year experience but I can’t help it: Czech media are starting to piss me off with their focus on the financial crisis.

Over the last four to eight weeks I have been sensing that their approach towards this whole issue can be defined as “Hmm, what industry sector have we NOT mentioned so far as being affected; and what angle have we been forgetting to cover?” In other words, Czech journalists seem do be doing everything they can to come up with anything that nobody has mentioned so far.

I know, I know…bad news is good news. But I think it is more than obvious by now that the more extensive and detailed coverage of anything where the word crisis is mentioned, the more people will, well, freak out. Whatever it may refer to.

The current global economy does not need inventive journalists who can dig out deep connections between …let’s say… the problems of U.S. car manufacturers and Czech manufacturers of aprons that are worn by women who sew cushions for chairs used by line workers in factories manufacturing key holes for the U.S.-made cars…

And yet everybody seems to be doing this…

Honestly, is ANYONE actually going to want to read this? If you lost your job, or you are afraid you may lose it, are you going to read about people who have recently been fired?

I think it is safe to say that with the exception of friends and families there is no real pity or compassion for the jobless. At times like this you can’t blame anyone for being selfish and caring only about themselves. In other words, I have no time nor mental strength to think about the jobless because I am too busy being thankful that I still have my job.

Considering most mass media theories it seems like all the roles played by media are negative ones (with respect to news reporting, that is). Few days ago Czech President Vaclav Klaus said something about “the flames of this crisis being fed by people who constantly keep reminding it is here” [my translation and my interpretation –ed].

He’s right.

The photo is (c) Getty Images