I don’t know what’s worse: the fact that most of the mainstream media seem determined to avoid mentioning the ongoing NSA spy scandal as much as possible… or how stupid they must think we really are.

To prove it, consider this example.

Last week, MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell was interviewing Congresswoman Jane Harman about the aforementioned scandal.

Suddenly — right in the middle of her discussion — Harman was cut off in order to cover breaking news.

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What could be so important to interrupt such a crucial topic? Perhaps:

• The impeachment of the president for serial lying to the American public. (That would be the fair thing to do.)
• An indictment of any of the multitude of big bankers who committed serious financial crimes in the last few years and got off scot-free (here’s looking at you, Jon Corzine).
• The Federal Reserve coming to the realization that trying to solve a fundamental debt problem by creating more debt is a bad idea (yeah, right).

No, it wasn’t any of these.

This breaking news — which was important enough to cut off a meaningful discussion of relevance to any freethinking American –was… (drumroll, please)…

Justin Bieber’s arrest.

Isn’t that just about the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard?

But “dumb” doesn’t mean “untrue.”

Apparently, a pop star’s arrest for drag racing and other offenses is more important than a debate about warrantless government surveillance and our growing police state.

Again, I ask: Isn’t that just about the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard?

But let’s not pick on just MSNBC. CNN actually did a special report on Justin Bieber’s drag racing arrest, “Justin Bieber’s Wild Ride,” that included state-of-the-art computer simulations. And that’s just in the last week.

It’s entertainment, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing. But CNN and MSNBC are supposed to be news sources. Can we really take them — or any other news outlet that devotes serious airtime to such ludicrous stories — seriously?

Now, granted, I confess to not being a fan of Bieber. He’s talented, but I’m just not part of the demographic that idolizes him.

The fact is those prepubescent girls infected with “Justin Bieberism” have ample opportunity to catch up with the latest news about him on Twitter or any of the dozens of celebrity-focused news feeds. They knew about Bieber’s latest court appearance even before MSNBC told the rest of us.

And that’s the point. In today’s mainstream media industry, celebrity fawning never really stops and often replaces something actually important.

Obviously, the cult of celebrity is profitable. But incidents like the MSNBC “breaking news” story remind us that it comes with a cost: Focusing on the trivial and sensational comes at the expense of everything else.

If you enjoy this sort of thing, feel free to rely on MSNBC, CNN, and other mainstream news sources for the “latest developments.” Just call it what it is: entertainment, not journalism. Don’t take it seriously.

But, if you really care about issues such as government surveillance, skyrocketing taxes, investment freedom, or US economic imperialism (e.g., FATCA), tune out the mainstream media and do you own research. Make up your own mind without being interrupted by drivel. There are more than enough resources outside the mainstream, including our own, to assist you.

You may not be the first to know the next time Bieber gets arrested, meets a new girlfriend, or films a new video. But hopefully, you’ll be better informed.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.