'Feeding the Beast' In Class Video

1. Who or What is the 'Beast'?
   In the film watched in class, 'Feeding the Beast' by ABC Nightline, the beast is known as the news media that takes form in TV news and newspapers that are on and in a constant cycle.
2. Why does it need to be fed?
   The beast needs to be 'fed' because of people's desire to get their news, from anywhere; it's been this way for as long as there's been a news source. People want and need to be informed of what's happening nationally and internationally, because of this, they will find their information from news sources that are familiar to them. Because people gather their information from the same sources, they come to rely on these sources to provide them with correct and timely information. Because of the dependency, these news sources need to be legitimate and credible.
3. What compromises (if any) might occur in trying to feed the 24-hour news cycle in print, TV and the Internet?
   Because news is now 24/7 and news sources are constantly in competition with one another for the 'breaking story' or the 'exclusive', legitimacy, credibility and honesty can always be an issue. In the 24-hour rush, and under deadlines, reporters may be convinced to fabricate stories, claims and provide false sources for their stories. This proves to be a major issue for both the reporter and the viewers of news media. For the reporter, issues surrounding credibility and ethics is very important -- if it is proven that they falsified any part of their story, theire credibility is severely tainted. For the audience member, there is already a distrust of today's media. When it is proven that any part of a news story is untrue, it leads the viewers to believe even more in the falseness of media.