We preppers and survivalists often lament how the media in the United States seems to avoid talking about what we’d consider to be real issues. Instead, the talking heads are much more interested in the latest celebrity gossip, scrutinizing possible “baby bump” photos like they are stills from the Zapruder film.

There’s a reason for this, and it has little or nothing to do with shady quasi-government entities suppressing “the truth.”

Money, it all comes down to money.

See, the success of virtually any TV show, whether it is a news program, a sitcom, or just another nausea inducing reality show, is predicated upon advertising dollars. The larger the audience is for a show, the higher the ratings. As the ratings go up, so does the rate the media station can charge for commercial time.

Why do you think companies pay millions of dollars to place their ads during the Super Bowl? Because it is consistently one of the highest rated TV broadcasts. Advertisers want eyes on their commercials and are willing to pay big bucks for that to happen.

Look, the only way the media is going to reverse course and start concentrating on actual news and stories that are truly important to us is if more people stop tuning in to the garbage that passes for TV entertainment today.

The problem isn’t with the media. It is with the American people. They want what they want, when they want it, and a lot of it. I mean, we can’t get more than about 20% of registered voters to a voting booth but millions turn out each week to vote for their favorite American Idol?

If you want things to change, it starts with you. Stop tuning in to the various and sundry crappy “reality” shows. Don’t watch any of the celebrity gossip shows that disguise themselves as news programs. If enough people finally do so, maybe, just maybe, the TV stations will get the hint.