Summary Of Newsmaking: The Pseudo Event Essay, Research Paper

September 27, 1996

Summary of News-Making: The Pseudo-Event

From education and consumption, to personal relations and public affairs the news media in the United States captures our attention by littering it with pseudo-events. As advancements in technology made it possible for journalists to communicate more easily, the media began to blossom into the national scene instead of the usual local news and events. More and more technologies were developed that in turn helped the media expand into a salable commodity. The rotary press, cameras, the telephone, radio, and the television are all examples of those advancements. When the media could broadcast across the nation, they were able to make a small event into a seemingly enormous event just by the number of people that were exposed to the news.

As news became a round-the-clock event, reporters needed to find ways to beat repetition in reporting that news. Now reporters must go and find news to report to keep the airwaves and TV’s flooded with new events.

Long Summary of: Peanuts

Peanuts is one comic strip that has been in everyone’s lives now consistently for many years. It gives inspiration to some people. Charles Shultz uses unique analogies for everyday items that makes them easier to associate with life. Many of his ideas, such as “The Great Pumpkin”, have become American past-times.

Charlie Brown represents the “little man” figure; a person struggling to succeed in life. Many other comic strips have portrayed this also, but none have lasted so long. This figure has been portrayed in musicals, movies, and toys. Charles Shultz has put together a real artform according to his own definition. His definition is that something can only be recognized as art if it makes the same impression on a future audience as it did in the present. Since Peanuts has been around for four and one half decades, I would say it was brilliant artwork.

Short Version: Peanuts

Peanuts is a comic strip that has been around for many years. It meets the requirements for artwork, simply because this generation, (1990’s), respects and observes it in the same perspective as the generation, (1950’s), whom was first exposed to it. Generations to come should have the same feelings.