I can't wrap my head around it.

I'm not a big media fan. The evening news. The local newspaper. I've never really seen the point. I think I have a basic understanding of why it's there, but I think if it dissapeared entierly I'd probably find a way to cope. It's always just seemed like well versed gossip and feel good stories to me. We all need something to feel good about right? And why not fluffy animals doing bizaare things? Or small children committing heroic deeds?

Don't get me wrong. I smile and laugh along at these things, just like everyone else. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't have that small warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach after learning that Snuggles the kitten did get rescued from the tree by the nice fireman and everyone's going to live happily ever after. But I'm pretty sure most of that is to do with the fireman (you just can't go past a man in uniform), not the kitten.

I get the importance of local news aswell. Keeping up to date with what's happening in your own neck of the woods is important and I'd be lying again if I said I didn't try to keep up to do date.

I think the problem I have is the power of the media, in general. Whether it's national news or local news, tv or newspapers, all those mediums have the power to inform and to some extent provoke discussion and changes within the community. It seems as if once something is picked up by the national news or those other indepth news programs, that the real progress begins. However it's rare you find these issues on your local news programs, even if thats where they all stem from.

There are issues, in communities all over the country that arn't particularly pleasant to talk about. Ongoing issues, that no-one really wants to hear, but can't really be ignored. There has, without a doubt been a trend of silence in regards to some issues that has done more harm than good. One of the big ones at the moment is Youth Suicide. It's one of those things thats becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore, but it's not often you'll be exposed to any media coverage about it because it seems as though people are quite happy to put a lid on it.

One instance of this is the cancellation of a 60 minutes story about the recent string of youth suicides in Geelong. I can, at first glance, understand beyondblues point and concern in regards to copycat suicides and kids getting the wrong idea. But after thinking about it a little more, I can't help but feel a little frustrated about the whole thing. I can understand their desire to protect the young people who the story may affect, but I don't think silence is the answer. I think more than anything, education is important. Treating this like the issue it is, because until recently it had been pretty much swept under the carpet.

"The advice that's given to me is that too much discussion about these things leads to the conclusion, in many people's minds, that this is an acceptable or normal behaviour, and it's not."

Victorian Premier, John Brumby said this, not long after the suicide of Chanelle. I'm afraid I don't agree. It's the trend of not talking about it, of treating it as taboo that has lead young people to believe that they have no-where else to turn. It is this idea that has led us, as a nation to where we are with this issue now.

"I think John Brumby's comments are distinctly unhelpful. That is the sort of attitude that has got us into this situation to begin with - it's a head-in-the-sand attitude. One of the biggest issues is all of the taboos that we have around this topic, the toxic silence." (David Webb has completed a PhD on suicide).

Youth suicide is happening. It may not have the same coverage it once did, but it is happening and it's not something that can be ignored any longer. It's confronting and it's real. I feel that the media, needs to stop reporting on purely what makes good news and what will make people turn on their televisions. If they lose ratings in order to report whats right and whats important, so be it. I think, now, at this point in time we've reached an age where ratings shouldn't be the most important thing.

There will always be good news days and bad news days. But I think it's more important to report on the things that matter, things that will make people think and feel and want to respond.