Some people insist on believing that “the media is lying to you!” About everything. I’m here to tell you that “the media” doesn’t exist. Separate companies, different points of view, etc. So BBC, CNN, FOX, CTV – they’re all in on it together? Every COMPETING company employs liars and forces them to lie?
It’s like saying “cereal is bad for you!” Even no-sugar, high fibre stuff with healthy nuts and seeds? Some cereal is crap. Some cereal isn’t as bad. But here’s a dirty little secret about SOME people in cereal – I mean the media – in summertime. We sometimes pick the low-hanging fruit.
Everyone Vacations But The Show Must Go On
When you’re hosting a show day in, day out, for several hours each day, there has to come a time when there’s so little going on that you pluck something easy. Guests are notoriously more difficult to book in the good weather, for obvious reasons. Even with every tool at our disposal, finding things to talk about varies from day to day.
Ever wonder why so many radio hosts talk about Costco or Tesla? It’s because those companies have advanced beyond mere corporations to become cultural touchpoints. It can’t be predicted, in the way that you can’t really predict what will go viral. The marketplace decides.
The formula is something like: Awareness x Popularity + Curiosity = Phenomenon. However, I still find it annoying that these mega-corporations get free airtime because they’ve captured the zeitgeist. But I digress.
Other Electric Vehicle Companies Exist!
The other day, Derek texted me from his friend Paul’s house in Cincinnati from inside a car that – on video – seemed to be gliding above the pavement. Paul owns a Lucid Air electric vehicle made by Lucid Motors. Never heard of it? Of course not. Because every time electric vehicles are mentioned, it’s the easy, low-hanging Tesla that gets the airtime.
I’m not here to sell Lucid vehicles. But their entry point model now costs less than a Tesla. And they are powerful. Some models go from 0-60 in 2 silent seconds. Lucid’s CEO used to work for Tesla but says that company has lost its way. Loads of vehicle reviewers say Lucids are better cars.
Lucid Motors’ vehicles are designed in California and they’re assembled in Arizona. Telsas are made all over the world including California, New York and Texas. Tesla is a much bigger company and its founder is an expert at keeping himself in the news. Personally, I think someone who fights publicly to justify being paid $50 billion is an asshole. But hey, that’s just me.
Even when I looked for photos representing electric vehicles to accompany this blog post, it was all Tesla, all the time. There are a bunch of electric and hybrid vehicles out there. But every Tesla owner is an evangelist for the brand. You almost have to admire that. Selling a Tesla means simultaneously also hiring a free social media influencer. Lucky Musk.
The Brand Less Traveled
I know there are other, even better options in many categories than the ones we’re force fed. But if you had to juggle a two or three-person show on your own (as many do in radio in summertime) you might pick a low-hanging lemon or apple, too. Or fill an online news site when you only have a skeleton summer staff. It’s not laziness, it’s pure survival instinct. And it happens in all media at one time or another. But that doesn’t mean we consumers can’t go beyond the popular names and find good stuff.
I don’t necessarily mean cheaper stuff. But that’s often a consideration, too. The top brand, the trendy thing, might not be all it seems.
One Bad Apple Spoils the Bunch
I think of the Apple iPhone, for example. The entire world seems to use iPhones. It’s routinely the most popular smartphone model. I remember exactly when I decided I was done with Apple. They announced free battery replacements so I made an appointment at an Apple Store and went in to get mine. They opened my phone and refused me because they detected that my phone had gotten wet. Not a lot wet, just a little wet. I don’t even remember it getting wet. They wouldn’t touch it. I went home frustrated.
The very next day, Apple changed its policy and decided that a little wetness wouldn’t be a problem. I received an email from the Apple Store. Did I want to make another appointment and come back to the mall in the centre of London? Nope. I bought a Samsung Galaxy instead. I sort of liked it. Now I have a Google Pixel, which I love.
It got even worse with Apple!
I later realized I was never using my iPad Mini and decided to give it away. My brother had a friend who couldn’t afford one and needed a tablet so I gave it to him. By then I had forgotten my Apple ID and needed my “second device” to confirm my identity. Well, my second device – the iPhone – was gone. Apple support couldn’t help me. Therefore, I couldn’t clear my data before passing the device along. That friend has since passed away. Who knows where that Mini is now? Thanks, Apple!
The George Costanza Opposite Method
There will always be people who avoid anything popular. And there will be those who believe the media is one big blob that works conspiratorially to mislead the public. I can’t do anything about that except to say that I was in it for decades and it’s more nuanced and competitive and often disorganized than it might seem. There’s no way that story to story, newscast to newscast, a “big brother” is pulling the puppet strings. It’s not possible.
But you do you!
Meantime, I’m looking for things that aren’t just popular for popularity’s sake. Or because their founder is the loudest person in the room. Quality over fame. Genuine reputation over low-hanging fruit. Not just to be contrary but to find something better.
Great post. I appreciate you took some time to outline your thoughts on this one — a leisurely read on a summer day!
Everything you say is true.
I once told a class of journalism students that I had never head the word “narrative” used by an editor in any newsroom I’ve worked in. They couldn’t believe it.
But many people do think “the media” acts with one mind.
The truth, that there’s no cohesive plan but just millions of individual journalists making the calls, is too much for them to imagine.