responsible radio gives some hope...

There is no doubt that the recent tragedy which took place Monday at VA Tech has had a profound effect on our nation। Being a student at a major university this hit all too close to home and my first thoughts and prayers went out to the students, friends and parents whose whole lifetime had just been turned upside down in a matter of minutes, or for that matter seconds.

Anything can happen in instant, and in that instant a life can change forever।

I recently have become a listener of morning radio, well mostly just The Bert Show which airs on one of my favorite radio stations in Atlanta... All The Hits Q100.5 FM। In listening the past couple days since Monday's incident I have been so impressed with the outreach and caring expressed by the station and Atlanta community.

So often you turn on the radio or television news and are bombarded with a barrage of negative media coverage aimed at exploiting the tragedies of others। We as citizens have a right to be informed and made aware of what's happening in our world, and that is the job of the media. More importantly it should be OUR goal as active citizens and participants in the communication arena to demand the media to go beyond just doing their job and take on their social responsibility. I see this social responsibility being the duty to report accurate news concerning the public interest, but beyond just reporting the news I think the media should recognize the enormous amount of influence it has on society and work to promote a more socially aware and communicative atmosphere aimed at educating and empowering, rather than exploiting.

I gained a bit of hope in broadcast media this week while listening in to The Bert Show and their dedication of airtime to not only talking about the tragedy affecting our Nation, but also giving listeners a sense of hope and community support in a time when we all need it। It is encouraging to know that there are still people out there that actually care about taking time to discuss issues affecting lives and not just making light of or ignoring them.

In case you weren't aware tomorrow has been declared National Maroon and Orange Day to support the Hokies, and there are tons of memorial services being held all around Athens and Atlanta tonight and this weekend. The Bert Show's Web site gives links detailing some of these events and ways to contribute to memorial funds।

So wear your maroon and orange tomorrow to show some Hokie support, and maybe even tune in to morning radio...cause you might be surprised what you'll find in the least expected places।

Go Hokies... and Go dawgs. (sorry had to put that in :)