The new high is ‘going viral’. Those who want quick fame talk about the opportunity to hit a million internet views on a piece they published. Often this happens ‘magically’ as a choice few circumstances come together to create a piece of media that explodes outward from the ‘net and on to the cable screens of the world.
Or at least locally. Rubi Ibarra Garcia’s family did it by accidentally making the invite to her 15th bday bash public and earning them over 1 million RSVPs. The news goes on to say that someone died at that party, but that is not is not what generated the infamy. What made the party such a mess was that the media picked up the story and decided that it was worth telling, vaulting a simple party into a notable situation.
So that is my brief and sleepy point for the night. The news media is looking for stories to tell and this is making it easier for everyone to get their 15 minutes, because everyone and anyone watching the 24 hr news cycle is looking for new stories to consume.