Blog Post 7

In this chapter, Postman asserts that television culture has made media shallow and insignificant as it promotes appearance and entertainment over quality content. I found Postman’s stance on credibility particularly thought provoking: “Credibility here does not refer to the past record… It refers only to the impression of sincerity, authenticity, vulnerability or attractiveness (choose one or more) conveyed by the actor/reporter” (Postman 73). I believe that Postman’s view is valid. It’s apparent that the overwhelming majority of TV news anchors are attractive. Whether subconsciously or consciously, there is likely some part of human nature that causes you to trust people considered attractive. The role of an anchor is not only to communicate the news but present themselves in a way which is pleasant to viewers. However, just because someone is attractive does not necessarily mean they are qualified to be a journalist. Yet due to the entertainment culture of television, attractiveness is often more important than credibility. Meaning you can be factual wrong and spread misinformation so long as you look good doing it.