'A Current Affair' and 'Today Tonight' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

'A Current Affair' and 'Today Tonight' - Essay Example The main role of mass media of informing and entertaining influences the way people live and conduct their businesses (O'Donnell 265). Rapid technological advancements particularly in respect to internet has significantly enhance the role that mass media plays in the world. Internet technology has widened the audience for media houses as the audience can catch the programs from virtually anywhere in the world and at anytime. Also, internet technology has enabled the audience to watch, listen or read the current and past contents of their interest from a particular media company (Lamble 18). Television programs have gained prominence over the years as the most preferred form of getting information and entertainment. As a result, many media houses have focused towards bettering their television programs’ content, reporting style, and visuals in order to meet or exceed the expectations of the target audience (Stuart Cunningham and Graeme 34). In basic terms, a television program refers to a segment of content that is intended for broadcast at a particular time or day(s) on television (Herd 9). This essay will discuss the programs ‘A Current Affair’ and ‘Today Tonight’, which are popular current affairs programs on Australian commercial television. The essay will seek to explain the elements that come together to make these programs successful. ... The program was revived in 1988 and has gradually grown to be one of the most popular television programs in Australia. According to the Australian TV ratings in 2008, the program had achieved about 1,130,000 viewers, coming second after ‘Today Tonight’ which had achieved about 1,380,000 viewers (O'Donnell 266). So, what elements have come together to make the program successful? One of the elements that have made the program successful is its content. The program is primarily informational and tends to offer information regarding the current affairs in Australia (Blundell). Like other societies, Australia is faced with a myriad of issues that affect its population in one way or another. It is against this background that A Current Affairs’ content is packaged; it is packaged to focus on various public affairs issues (Stuart Cunningham and Graeme 49). For example, it focuses on the issues of money such as how one can fight unfair speeding fines and makes some savi ngs. Also, the content of the program focuses on issues of food and nutrition where it is concerned with aspects of health eating and on how various diets negatively impact one’s health. Besides, its content focuses on family including how families are raised and some of the challenges that they are facing (A Current Affair). Moreover, the content of the program includes issues of business; how one can run successful business and some of the pitfalls to watch out for and avoid. Furthermore, its content addresses personalities such as celebrities and politicians and their various behaviors and activities and how they impact on the society (Lamble 55). In a nutshell, the content of the program focuses on various social, economic, cultural, and political issues and