A media literacy view on The View

Out-spoken, opinionated and angry.




When Bill O’Rielly appeared on The View last week his political and philosophical views could not have come a surprise to any of the hosts. However, two of the hosts found his views on the building of the mosque on the 9/11 site to be offensive. Heated words were exchanged. Joy Behar and Whoopie Goldberg walked off the stage in protest during the interview.



If you are a fan of sports, incidents like this are all a part of the game. The trash talk, the insults, my team against your team - it is all a part of the drama.



No conflict, no drama. No drama, no ratings.



The only journalist in the room, Barbra Walters, stated that walking of stage when someone does not agree with you is not a professional way to conduct an interview nor is it a way to foster thoughtful discourse. She acted as the commentator in the booth analyzing the game for the audience.



While I would agree with Walters on her first point about professionalism I must disagree on the second point. If one looks at the situation from a media literacy perspective the actions of both the guest and the hosts are to be expected, The View is not a serious news outlet. With the exception of Walters, the hosts have no background in journalism, political science or foreign or domestic policy- they are merely women with “a view.” One cannot expect any thoughtful commentary or depth of analysis. This show is not the news; it is an entertainment vehical.



O’Reilly is not a journalist either; he is a pundit paid to have an opinion on the events of the day. His views may reflect the feelings of some of the audience and some of the audience may not connect. Part of O’Reilly’s appeal is that he is disliked by many who like to argue and jeer his perspective. Hosts Bahar and Goldberg vs O’Reilly in a steel cage death match. Who isn’t enjoying the fruits of this controversy? Both shows gain ratings and the media spends time talking about its’ favorite subject - the media.



The adage of the media not telling us what to think but what to think about should be reiterated. A proper media literacy perspective suggests that viewers realize these people are paid to be out-spoken, opinionated and angry - their job is to create “compelling” television not sophisticated, nuanced analysis.



Is it interesting to watch and fun to talk about? Sure.



Is The View or The O’Reilly Factor where Americans should look to gain the knowledge needed to make political, philosophical or moral choices?

Of course not.



One of the best discussions on this latest media obsession comes from MSNBC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv74YD05LaI&feature=player_embedded

(Note that the lone female on the panel looks a little scare and confused.)