I love documentaries. Simple, narrated story-lines which require minimal attention from the viewer. They provide a fantastic (and frankly much needed) escape from everyday life. It’s so easy to chill in bed with a laptop and binge an entire series, being able to relax and yet feel as if you’re learning new and valuable things. However, particularly after Mihingarangi Forbes’s lecture, I’ve been seeing a shift in how I watch them. Instead of focusing on the documentary itself, I give much more attention to the narratives they spin and how easily they can be twisted for the sake of a good story.
Often presentation can do more for a story than its actual content. If something looks, sounds, and feels factual, then to us, it must be factual. Even with the internet and all the information on it by our side, it’s useless if people don’t ever feel the need to research what they see. Take ‘The Onion’ as an example. This satirical news site publishes outlandish stories under the guise of a genuine news company. Their articles are often depicted as truth due to their polished appearance, despite absurd titles like ‘Study Finds Average American Inadvertently Eats Equivalent Of 8 Pieces Of Fruit Per Year‘.
Biased media is so common that it’s becoming more and more important to be able to distinguish fact from fiction. The forms of media which people think are factual like news outlets and documentaries are the ones which need to be given the most scrutiny. They are just as susceptible to bias and misinformation as any other type of media, but it is their presentation which makes them more dangerous. Few people look to cartoons for accurate depictions of real-world events.
Documentaries always have an angle. There is consistently a lens they use to present their topic and information to their audiences. This alone isn’t horrifying or dangerous. In fact, it can help to narrow down the focus of the story to a few crucial aspects they want their audience to take home. The issues arise when the angles being taken require the truth to be thrown away for the sake of a good story. Depictions of real wars and struggles are easily manipulated through the documentary format. Groups can be othered, conflicts can be erased, people can be pardoned. Shows such as ‘Ancient Aliens’ remove entire civilisations from history to fit their bizarre narratives.
The media doesn’t have to be pristine, cold, hard and free of biases at all times. While they aren’t, however, the general public needs to be more critical in their thinking when they binge-watch documentaries during quarantine. Distorted narratives are everywhere, waiting for unsuspecting watchers. Perhaps the short disclaimer, ‘inspired by’, isn’t good enough anymore. Not for this age of misinformation.
The Onion article: https://www.theonion.com/study-finds-average-american-inadvertently-eats-equival-1819578217
You’ve made some really good points here. I think another issue with this is the personal aspect of media too. Not only the influence of those who are telling the stories, as we learned about in Mihingarangi Forbes’ lecture, but also the lens through which each audience member digests the information. It’s honestly no wonder people often misinterpret things online, and it becomes challenging to accurately and precisely get a message across to someone through (often) such limited mediums. I agree that we should hold storytellers accountable for their work, both in terms of scientific articles containing accurate research, and films including many perspectives, and consulting those who’s stories they are telling. This was a great read, thanks 🙂
I really enjoyed this, Marika. I’ve often found myself asking ‘Why is this narrative important?’ this year. It’s as important to examine a storyteller’s motives for telling their story as it is to examine their story. Ancient Aliens is an example I often think of – despite never having actually watched the show. While the narratives they tell by themselves may be harmless, it’s the authority and confidence the show’s presenters have over applying these narratives which can cause issues. To speculate on if aliens have influenced human civilization is good and fun, much like binging a documentary series. It’s the authoritative application of that speculation to cultures other than your own which results in a misinformed viewer.