For several years now, the controversy of genetically modified organisms (GMO) has been a great ally of writers and bloggers around the media world. Many bloggers write about their opinions regarding GMO’s; some of the writers defend them but a vast majority attack and disbelieve that GMO’s are good for one’s health. First and foremost, it is necessary to note that GMO’s are something new to our generation and for this reason many people consider them harmful and unethical. However, one must ask if they are really malign because they are something that is new to us or because they really affect our health.
In my opinion, I believe that GMO’s are simply not healthy because they are genetically corrupted foods and the properties of the modified goods are changed and lost when they are altered. However, I must argue that ignorance and lack of knowledge on the matter in our society helps fuel the controversy of whether GMO’s are right or wrong. Some people believe that GMO’s, if not controlled, will change the course of our generation. Whether it is for good or for bad that is yet to be seen, but what is certain is that they will play a major roll in future generations.
Some media bloggers argue that GMO’s can be beneficial in underdeveloped nations where not everyone has proper access to food. They believe that modified food can allow people to consume balanced diets, because modified goods can certainly permit them to eat all kinds of vital organisms. An example of such benefit is adding vitamins to oranges in order to fight seasonal flues.
However, GMO’s can also be used to make people addicted to food, and this way allow food companies to take advantage of them. Some fast food chains use GMO’s to make their products more profitable at the expense of the consumers. In some cases, some companies have tried to pass a law that would allow them to serve and produce food without having to state where their food came from. In my opinion this would be a major negative effect on all consumers. This would allow companies not only to decide how consumers will be treated, but also make them even more addicted to their products.
As stated before, behind all this controversy sits the media which takes advantage of such debate to make up stories and help their writing profit. As seen in the reading, “All news are local” one can see how media reporters and writers customize their stories to appeal to a certain public. One can see how news reporters draw off in certain events to make their news more popular in certain areas. In regards to GMO’s, one does not see many underdeveloped citizen bloggers arguing against GMO’s simply because they do not understand the matter or because it is simply not relevant to their societies. However, one can see how, in developed countries, several people talk and write about genetically modified organisms, simply because they affect, in one way or another, their lives.
Most writers base their articles on juicy stories in which they deal with local citizens. All news are local, means that they are only relevant to the people that are directly affected. For an American citizen to read that a child is dying of starvation in Africa does not make any difference, but for the very same American to read that the next time he goes to a fast food stand and the food that he will consume there will affect his health, this may make a difference and hence, he or she will be more interested in reading such a news.
Lastly, it is proper to note that news regarding GMO’s are mainly focused for developed countries, and for the very same reason that they are believed to be harmful to people is that they are such a good story for reporters. They deal directly with the average citizen therefore the media can take advantage of such a controversial matter. GMO’s not only help food chains to be more profitable but also local news writers to get their stories across to more people. In conclusion, GMO’s need to be controlled in order to protect everyone’s health.
-Santiago Dominguez
Work cited:
R Stanton. All News is Local. Chapter 9& 10: Citizens and Participation & Conclusion. 170-200. Copyright 2007 Richard Stanton.
Nestle, Marion. Food Politics. UC Press: Berkeley, 2003. Selected
Environmental Communications 