AS THE DEMASSIFICATION of the media continues, niche media becomes increasingly more prevalent. In recent years, there has been a massive push toward attracting female viewers. I call it the other "Oprah effect."
The View launched in 1997. Fox29 began a 5:00 PM newscast last year targeting women. And six months ago, the Today Show added a fourth hour to their morning program. It's dedicated to women.
"It is an hour dominated by extreme weight-loss stories, ambush makeovers and recipes for carrot cake so good that it will make a man propose," according to a story in Sunday's Washington Post.
The article continues: By the time the fourth hour hits the airwaves at 10 a.m., the content not only becomes so diluted that it is readily understandable by a 10-year-old, it also harks back to another era -- a time when, say, the idea of a woman being a serious contender for the White House was unthinkable.
Which evokes the question: By pandering to women, are you insulting their intelligence? Aren't you assuming that all women are vapid, superficial and, well, stupid?
Should the audience be considered when journalists are deciding what news should be presented and how it should be provided?
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