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The degeneration of television debate and the media like a dirty kitchen...

2025-03-10 11:39:00, Opinione Mentor Kikia

Albanian televisions cover political topics (news, interviews, debates, etc.) from 07:00 to 24:00. Thursday is the day when the most important debates take place. For the past week, I believe you noticed that the strongest debate, or let's say the peak of the debates, was on the program Të Paekspozuarit, by Ylli Rakipi on MCN. It is not related to the publication of any important fact or statement, but because Andi Bushati revolted with the two colleagues who were in the studio because they were not letting him speak. "Will you let me finish my thought or not?" - he said, while the journalists began to interrupt him, first one, then the other and then both at the same time. Bushati got up, left the studio and when Rakipi called out "O Bushat, O Bushat", he replied: "Go away, you bastard"!
Fantastic? Saying "I'll give it to you", "go away, you bastard"...where better for clicks.
The video was posted on the television website. Then other portals also took it up with urgency. The 50-second sequence became a HIT. On social networks, online media and portals, typical headlines of these events flooded social networks, online media and portals: "Explodes in the TPZ studio", "Bad explosion in the TPZ studio", "Bushat explodes: I'll give it to you, go away", "Bushat revolts: Go away, you bastard". A couple of weeks ago, a video became a hit where a politician, who was also a member of parliament, was scolding a journalist in the studio: "Shut up your mouth, I'll beat you to death".
Look at the views, look at the clicks, look at the comments, there's no question that many are also swearing. A lot of K. Because our media today only fights for K. Principles, professionalism, mission, ethics have suffered severe shocks.
In fact, what is happening to the media? I'm not stopping at the topic, but at the way the debates are conducted for the most part, at the degradation of the debate itself, as a journalistic genre.
In short, if you ask a question, you don't get an answer.
If you start an idea, you don't finish the reasoning.
The one who follows the conversation from the screen wants to hear/learn what "those smart people" who have been invited to the studio think. But he doesn't hear anything. Everyone speaks at the same time. Everyone raises their voices, shouts, to gain attention. Then they curse, threaten...
Online media are on the alert. As soon as they catch the quarrel and the swearing, they flood the "news": "Breaking in studio X". "Breaking in studio Y". "Here's how so-and-so smashed the pistachio". Then follows the detailed information: "O legen", "o thief", "to shave my hair", "take the wife too if you wanted"...
From television debates I rarely find any significant, valuable statements, useful suggestions, analyses that highlight the problems being discussed quoted. If you click on Google, with the keywords "go away", "o legen", expressions that have nothing to do with politics, the media and ethics, you will find endless publications that have these expressions as their titles. All quoted from television programs.
Unfortunately, television has turned into kitchens where spoiled dishes are cooked, which are immediately served to people by an army of hungry portals.
Let's be fair: It's called a debate, there will be raised voices and retorts, without a doubt. But when these degrade, or when "fierce debate" turns into an end in itself to attract attention, this is where the mission, profession, ethics, form and content end.
The media themselves say that this is what the public wants. That's why moderators often encourage this type of debate themselves, or, when it starts, they don't stop it. Because if there is no fuss, there is no audience. For the same reason, other television programs follow the same line. The public wants vulgarity, slander and chest out. That's what they give them!
However, the few studies that have been done on the media market do not confirm this perception of public tastes. But, even if the majority of the public really wants the 2SH product (SHerr and SHAle), the media is an institution and should not go after the taste of the vulgar.
The media also has a duty to change society.
This has caused the credibility of the media to dramatically decline. Recent surveys rank the media among the bottom 5. It is trusted less than the government, the police and other public institutions, while, at least a decade ago, it was absolutely trustworthy.
PS: I apologize for using some unethical words, but to present reality, I had to refer to them accurately.
In the photo: Online media publications that have been referenced by televisions, if you search with the keywords "O legen", "ik pirdhu" / CNA