What is "News"?

This week's topic of Media and News Literacy led me to think about this blog post. I feel like as of late, there has been a loss in the definition of what "news" is considered to be. When I open a newspaper or turn on my TV to watch a news channel, I have always had expectations for what I was going to find. In my household, I was brought up watching the news with either my mom or dad, and it always featured pressing global, social or economic issues, with the occasional segment about holiday shopping, the latest gadget, etc. I even remember school projects where we had to write about articles that we found online or in a newspaper.

However, today, I feel as if the "news" is all crap (for lack of a better word). If I turn on Fox, ABC, or any other channel, I no longer see the urgency to report on things that really affect us. There's a segment on Thanksgiving recipes, the newest Iphone app, fun things to do in the season, the rising cost of taking a vacation, and the birth of a celebrity's child. Sure, these things be "important," but they are fleeting. Where is the substance? Are these really the things that are important to my society? Is this a true display of my society's values?

Even with big events, like the Trayvon Martin shooting or the Government Shutdown, the minute that these things are "finished," the attention and focus completely disappear. I think that this is a huge problem. When news outlets stop reporting on these issues, they most definitely do not go away, but abruptly severing our connection to major events may give us that inclination. It is okay for there to be occasional features on triviality, but the news needs to go back to providing substantial information about our world.

I know that the first reaction to this post will be "Hey! Theres CNN, HLN, BBC and many more!" That's all fine and well, but the amount of news outlets that broadcast mostly frivolity far outweigh the more sensible ones. Even thinking back to Mr. Prinsloo's talk, I feel as if listening to, watching, or reading the news is one of the fews ways that we can maintain the ability to "read the world," and how can we do so when we are not provided with any pertinent information?

Even throughout history, LARGE events, such as the Civil Rights marches and the inhumane treatment of their participants have been broadcasted worldwide, and have moved massive amounts of viewers to action. In thinking about that, how can we incite and promote change if we are not even aware of the things that are going on?

I might be the only person that feels this way, but I really hope not. As I have said before, the news (no matter what medium) should give us global (and local) information. I want to hear about issues that will affect my life on a larger scale, and I want to know what issues are affecting a person my age in, say, Saudi Arabia or Australia. I think that the news needs to return to reporting on what is truly important. How do you guys feel? Any ideas?