By now it should be well known, my outlook on how we are given what passes as “news” these days. I think there is too much propaganda and partisan agendas being injected in what should be objective reporting. It’s just my opinion, but much of what they are calling news just isn’t newsworthy to me. Recently I was given a newspaper (cause I’ll be damned if I spend my hard-earned money on any of these rags) and on the front page, the most important and meaningful bit of information this paper had to offer, was a trade and speculation about the effects of it on that nights sports event. Umm...what?
There are a plethora of events and situations both locally and globally that are having, and will have, a profound effect on our lives and the best they can come up with to lead off these reports (assuming they will report on them) is sports? Maybe I’m being too critical. I do have a somewhat biased opinion of those that bring us news. I’m sure there are people out there that care very much about the next sports trade...heck, they may even not care about what’s happening in the world (it can get a bit overwhelming when you really think about the depravity humanity is capable of). I’m just not one of those people.
Now that I think about it, let me indulge in a tangent and mention that there are many worthwhile and uplifting stories that happen all the time that never seem to make it to the front page...or any page for that matter. It seems like bad news is the only news worth reporting...which probably explains sports making the front page. Then again, probably not. In the end it’s just games and I think society places way too much importance on them, but I digress...and realize that everyone needs a distraction. Our sanity depends on it, I just don’t indulge the excess.
I think it would be nice if an effort to find and present stories that uplift the spirit by featuring the better part of human nature were to become more common. I’m not saying none of these stories ever see print or camera, they do. I’m just saying that it seems like the bad is outweighing the good...and I refuse to believe that this is the absolute truth of our human nature.
I’ve mentioned propaganda and partisan agendas before, and think the subject should be revisited...often, until it sinks in that such positions are detrimental. First, reporting something that is not true or which the facts are distorted is just heinous. There really isn’t much more to say about that. Second, a partisan agenda pushes one point of view and I firmly think the presentation of news should be just that...a presentation of what happened, not the opinion of the presenter about what happened. Color me intelligent, but I can draw my own conclusions and form my own opinion...and all I need to do so, are the facts.
The most disturbing aspect about all of this for me isn’t that the “news” isn’t really news anymore, it’s that so many people continue to accept the poor substitute being offered. So many will regurgitate, no matter how ridiculous, a point that is blatantly false or in no way reflective of good common sense...with the defense of “Well, that’s what the news said.” It’s just another by-product of living in Topsy-Turvy World is seems.
We have become a captive audience...and those that have captured our minds, our common sense, our emotions...know it. Everyone is in on the gag except the most important player of this circus...us. Well, I should say you if you have read this and are still snoring. I’ve already woken up and just hope the buzzer will rouse others to do the same.
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