By: Armen Dilanchian
The End of Substance: Why News Became Entertainment and Filmmakers are Losing the Battle
In a world where sensationalism reigns supreme, where headlines scream louder than truth, and where entertainment trumps enlightenment, the demise of meaningful news and the struggle of filmmakers to capture attention is an undeniable reality. Welcome to the era where substance takes a backseat, and the race for eyeballs is won not by the virtuous, but by the flashy.
Gone are the days when jounalism was revered for its integrity, its commitment to facts, and its duty to inform. Today, news has morphed into a grotesque spectacle, a circus of clickbait and controversy designed not to educate, but to entertain. Why bother with nuanced analysis when outrage sells? Why strive for objectivity when bias is more lucrative? The once noble profession of journalism has been hijacked by the allure of ratings and the thirst for virality.
But let’s not lay the blame solely at the feet of news media conglomerates. Filmmakers, too, find themselves struggling in this battle for attention. In a landscape saturated with streaming services, social media, and endless distractions, getting audiences to invest their time and money in quality content has become an uphill battle. Why bother watching a thought-provoking documentary when you can indulge in mindless reality TV? Why engage with a challenging indie film when you can escape into a CGI-filled blockbuster?
The problem runs deeper than mere preference; it’s systemic. Our society has become addicted to instant gratification, to the dopamine rush of likes, shares, and viral moments. We crave the sensational, the scandalous, the superficial. And in our pursuit of entertainment at all costs, we’ve sacrificed substance on the altar of clickbait.
But all hope is not lost. Amidst the noise and chaos, there are still those who refuse to succumb to the allure of sensationalism. There are journalists who doggedly pursue the truth, filmmakers who dare to challenge convention, and audiences who hunger for more than just empty spectacle. It’s up to us to demand better, to reject the shallow and embrace the profound.
So, the next time you’re tempted to click on that sensational headline or binge-watch the latest reality show, pause for a moment and ask yourself: Is this truly feeding my mind and soul, or am I merely indulging in empty calories? And to the filmmakers out there, struggling to capture our attention in a world obsessed with the trivial and the titillating, take heart. Your battle may be uphill, but the fight for substance is one worth waging.
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