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Chapter 159 - The role of media in the world

’What role does media play in people’s lives? And what’s the biggest challenge facing the modern media industry today?" Ben contemplated this challenging interview question as he rocked back in his chair.

If he got this wrong, he was certain it would be the end of his interview. He could tell from the aloof body language of everyone in the conference room that no one expected him to know the answer, and they were right...

He didn’t have a good answer...but he wouldn’t quit without at least trying. Ben thought about his old otaku lifestyle, growing up alone in a room, with nothing but media to call his friend. He recalled how close he was to that friend, and how if it wasn’t for that friend, he’d still be stuck in that room, but in an even worse state—with the windows down, blind and deaf to the outside world.

He reflected on his own recent journey, and how he stepped away from that friend, to grow into a man himself; how he discovered the wonders of the outside world on his own, and how he realized that it was much more complex and beautiful than the simple view his old friend always gave him. His old pal held his hand and carried him home, but he also blinded his eyes so he wouldn’t be afraid...

When Ben opened his eyes for himself and realized all this, he was thankful to that friend, but also wary...

Returning from his thoughts, Ben got his answer. Although it seemed his process of recollection took a long time, it actually took even longer than that...

...

The interviewers were staring at him, wondering if he was asleep.

...

Ben leaned into the conference table and posted on his arms. "The role of media in people’s lives is as a window to the world, a friend, a teacher, and a guardian. In short, media is a parent...."

"Parent? Oh?" Jacob’s eyes flashed. He hadn’t heard that word used in this context before. Everyone else also showed various looks of surprise and waited for Ben to continue.

He elaborated. "Media exists to connect people to the much larger world. Nowadays, technology is advancing at breakneck speed, with global connectivity at an all-time high. Yet, rather than people connecting to the world, they’ve never been further away from reality, sunk into their technology, adopting it as a bubble from which to experience the world." Sighing, he remembered how he lived as an otaku for so long. "Or even, misjudging it as the world itself..."

The faces of everyone in the room became serious as they stared on, hanging onto his words and charisma.

Ben continued. "Outside, we’re glued to our phones. At home, we’re glued to our televisions and computers. People are spending less time socially, with many around the globe leading lives barely leaving their houses...

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the comforts media provides, and I won’t argue against media addiction, because these trends are unshakeable at this point. However, I think the key from a media standpoint, is realizing the new issues emerging from this dynamic...

The first is the most important in defining media’s role as a parent, and that’s responsibility..."

Now, even Paul narrowed his eyes and gave Ben his full attention. ’Where is he going with this?’

Ben soon answered that. "Now, more than ever, there should be a greater sense of responsibility in the media industry. People define their realities through the media they consume. It’s many people’s only window to the outside world, as influential in their lives as their social circles and schools, maybe even more important...

At this moment in time, if the media industry prioritizes its responsibility to shareholders and goes for quick profits at the expense of its responsibility to consumers, it would be a huge mistake. That’s true not only philosophically, but financially as well..." Ben’s higher knowledge stat and effort in his studies was showing now.

Paul frowned. "How would focusing on profits hurt financially? I’m not following your train of thought."

Ben replied with a confident smirk. "It’s because profits at the expense of responsibility to the consumer carry a greater cost. That brings me to the answer to your second question: the biggest challenge facing the media industry today, which I would also say is not a challenge, but a crisis—a crisis of trust!"

Every person listening showed various troubled expressions. Trust--this word was a painful one for everyone in the room, no—everyone in the media industry.

From growing cries of "fake news" to secret sharing of consumers’ data by middlemen, to personal data breaches all over the internet, consumers have lost significant trust with marketers, media publishers, and social platforms. It was indeed a major challenge. Ben’s identification of this made everyone stare at him with intensity.

He thought about all the posts he saw on various forums and social media and how chaotic they were. It was a sea of constant bickering. No one accepted any source as reliable anymore, yet few were willing to do any verification themselves. It was as if humanity was stuck in a limbo state, seeing more and more information but refusing to evaluate what was true and false anymore. Instead, everybody stuck to their prior beliefs as a default because it was easier. In the end, this only created greater tension and divided the populace further than ever before.

When evaluating trust, Ben also considered what he knew about women and comfort. "Trust is difficult to establish, but easy to break... Right now, the media has broken its trust with consumers, making them wary of everything they see.

Technological advancement has only made this more difficult: deepfakes, digital censorship, rampant media bombardment. It seems like every day, there are more and more sources of information bombarding everyone. So how does one media company stand out among thousands of noisy voices? The answer to this also lies in trust."

Before, Ben intrigued them. Now, he captivated them. All the interviewers stared at him without blinking.

"I believe the problem is also the solution; Media companies that want to stay relevant will need to establish credibility and trust. They must emphasize truth and correctness above revenue, exclusivity, or being the first to publish something. Information can’t be skewed to reinforce personal agendas. Opinions can’t be presented as facts. Double-speak needs to be avoided (’unless I’m in an interview...’).

Caution is the name of the game. Misreporting or misrepresenting facts should have serious consequences for employees just as it does for the company, hurting its credibility. Trust won’t be easy to rebuild, it’ll take time as it should, but I believe it’ll be the only way to remain relevant. Unbiased, responsible, trustworthy. Those can’t only be empty words; they need to carry weight!"

...

The room stayed silent for a long time...

Everyone was...speechless...

Bob and Jacob looked at each other in shock...

Paul stared at Ben with intensity, as if re-evaluating him...

Even the quiet beauty who wasn’t paying attention couldn’t help but be enraptured by his words...narrowing her eyes as she contemplated everything he said...

This was the power of Ben’s charisma combined with surprise! No one here expected an 18 year old freshman could give such a thoughtful and captivating speech!

Although his answer wasn’t perfect, still lacking in maturity and not covering several relevant issues, but was this insight normal for an 18 year old? Everyone had to admit, he really was a talent!

However, talent alone wasn’t enough to get hired by one of the best media companies on the planet. That didn’t offset his glaring faults.

"Your answer is acceptable. Now, we’ll move on to the last stage of the interview." Having recovered from the shock of Ben’s performance, Paul’s face regained its previous coldness. ’In the end, theory and insight are only useful in classrooms. He still has too many weaknesses, which is why, he’ll never pass the next stage!’