Let’s swim out of here guys, the media is up there
You sometimes hear someone say: “The news is always negative. Why isn’t there more positive news?” Ha. Ha. Ha. Funny one. That person isn’t dealing with reality and needs to be attacked by a shark. Not really but it is kind of naive wishful thinking. You see, the news gives the public what they want. If the public wants wrecks and fires and shark attacks, the media is only happy to give those stories to them.
When sharks attack it is news. You have conflict between man (or woman or child) against shark. Sometimes man wins. And sometimes not. Why have a story about someone turning 102 years old when you can have bloody conflict? Well, when the sharks go, then is the time to find someone turning 102. But you have to work those stories pretty fast, if you get my drift. Or, if you have someone who just happened to turn 102 at the beach and she beat off a shark attack with her cane, that would work even better.
It thus was not surprising that when a school of sharks were spotted near Sea Rim State Park in our county over the weekend that the story was prominent both on television and in the daily newspaper. KFDM-TV is reporting on its Web site that another school was spotted this morning near Sea Rim. It is July 4th weekend and you figure a lot of people are going to the beach, so while you may not yet have a big story you have a big story waiting to happen.
Certainly I don’t advocate sharks attacking humans. I don’t think that even reporters are that twisted. Okay, I stand corrected. Some are that twisted. But the majority of sane people don’t want anyone to get et by a shark. Hopefully we will make it through this summer without a shark attack in Jefferson County. But if it does happen be prepared to read and hear a lot about it. ‘Cause it’s news.
Disclaimer: I am not working as a reporter for anyone right now. I am, however, receiving a hefty amount of grouper from the sharks lurking off our coast in return for my kind words about their benevolent activity.