9) Find a “news” story from the Onion News Network, and compare it to a contemporary news story or clip from a “real” news source (a TV channel, newspaper, etc.). Discuss them both in terms of gatekeeping and agenda-setting functions, as well as the breakdown and reevaluation of discourse that Baym talks about in his article. Citing Baym will help (100-150 words).
The Onion article: http://www.theonion.com/articles/20000-sacrificed-in-annual-blood-offering-to-corpo,18542/, MSNBC article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40470093/ns/business-holiday_retail/
The lines between real and “fake” news may be blurred, though it is easy to tell which of these articles is satirical. The Onion uses humor to critically analyze the frenzy surrounding Black Friday, and consumer attitudes towards their exploitation by large corporations. The MSNBC article focuses the agenda on the importance of consumer spending, detailing the large role it plays in the US economy, especially during the holiday season. The article discusses successes of large corporations in the massive amounts of spending that occurred on Black Friday, but acts as a gatekeeper in its failure to address consumer debts incurred by impulse “bargain” shopping and trampling, frenzied crowds. The Onion article presents Black Friday critically, satirically portraying the often-barbaric “ritual” American consumers engage in every year in mass spending. The agenda here is focused on the way that large corporations take advantage of consumers in order to ensure “successes” (for businesses only) while the people suffer and are exploited. Satirical news organizations breakdown the news critically in order to reevaluate it, exposing issues that may have been held back by corporate “gatekeeping”.
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