Satire

Fake news does not exist. Any presentation of an occurrence, whether it be presented satirically, formally, or as an act, a presentation that is informative in any manner should be considered real. Satire, although it is humorous, still presents vital information to society; a satirical presentation brings attention to an ideology or a belief that may not be socially acceptable or to the local ideals, but it can also direct negative energy towards something that may not be wrong in any way.

Satire has no purpose unless it has a reason to exist. Without a motive, there would be no reason to 'make fun' out of someone, or a group of people who practice their individual beliefs. Tim Parks of NYR suggests "There is mockery but with a noble motive: the desire to bring shame on some person or party behaving wrongly or ignorantly." He suggests that when you target someone shamefully, there must be a positive outcome. This means that if satire is to be used to draw attention to an argument, there must be a reason that if you are shaming someone, there will be something that will change, whether that be in an action, or a public opinion.

The First Amendment recognizes an American's right to free speech and the freedom for the press to publish how they choose, but this doesn't mean censorship doesn't happen. Censorship was designed to 'protect' people and to ensure that our country is safe. The Internet is becoming a new place for censorship across the globe. China is leading a pathway of internet censorship by creating new tactics and laws limiting what can be posted and said over the internet. The country worked to erase over 24,000 postings on 6 public pages that were negative towards China. Could USA be next to monitor news networks and social media to protect the identity of America?

If we begin to limit negative comments throughout online, television, and print, the same way that China and North Korea have, some of the most popular stations and programs would cease to exist. Shows like the Daily Show and Saturday Night Live would be altered completely, no longer would they be allowed to use humor to inform America about global news. The same would happen to newspapers and magazines, papers like The Onion or websites like Buzzfeed and Clickhole would no longer be allowed to post news stories in a humorous manner.

Satire is necessary to bring attention to global events. When satire is used the way it was intended to be used, consumers become more informed of the world around them in a manner that makes them more comfortable around the subject. Satire is important to making people feel comfortable and to help them recognize the outcomes of decisions that are made that could have an impact on society.