"In our life, the information culture makes itself useful not by informing or educating us, but by warning and alarming us. All of life, it seems, is a warning to be discovered or delivered. It would be nice if there was a Life Center [as opposed to a Storm Center], issuing warnings and alerts like this: 'Hey, great news. It will snow tonight and tomorrow, and be incredibly beautiful in the morning, and great for walks, games and beautiful scenes. And lucky kids will get off of school and lucky people will get off of work.'" Jon Katz
Yes. information is meaningless without perspective, and I appreciate Jon Katz's perspective. So why does the media always opt for the negative perspective, the panicked perspective, the doom-and-gloom perspective?
That's a purely rhetorical question.
NEWSFLASH: The Life Center just issued this alert: "It's going to be a wonderful weekend with lots of opportunity to live, laugh, and love. So carpe diem!"
Rhetorical answer....everyone loves DRAMA. Watching the train wreck in horror. Whoa is me attitude.
ReplyDeleteUsed to be that everytime a storm hit in So Cal, the media would have posts for "Storm Watch 2010" or whatever. It's RAINING people. Use your common sense. Since it doesn't do it much in So Cal....drive like a human, not an idiot, think about low areas flooding as the drains are NOT set up for mass water flow....etc.
And a better perspective would be: RAIN! Our parched land is getting much needed rain! This will help decrease the fire possibility later in the season. Enjoy the lucious green that will pop up in a couple of weeks while the rest of the country continues to have their landscape hidden under snow and dead leaves.
This is so true. I am afraid anymore to watch the news or read the paper - all of this bad news is really weighing on me. I just need to remember that bad things have always happened, and life has gone on and on. Sometimes you need to dig around a little to find the wonder that exists, but it is out there.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the video of the little girl singing the national anthem at the hockey game when her microphone cuts out? The spectators all chime in and sing it with her. It is beautiful, and a nice antidote to the other stuff.
Thanks, Susan! I'm so sick of all the DRAMA in this world. You watch the news and you're inundated with sad, bad, and hideous. Then for 15 seconds at the end you get a feel-good piece. By then you're suffering from PTSD!
ReplyDeleteDown here we laugh at our weatherman because he gets so excited when there's bad weather. His voice goes up decibels according to the potential impact; be it cold weather, tornado watches, or hurricanes. Never mind that the likelihood that the weather will ever get as far South as we are is nil. As long as there's a "potential" he's all over it and scaring the lights out of all the old folks. Argh!
here's my rhetorical answer...i agree! i can complain about babysitting grandchildren more than i might like, but then again, look at all the time i get to spend with them; so many fun things to do and see with them, a chance to impart some delightful family stories, they WILL grow up and i would prefer they remember their happy grammy. perspective!
ReplyDeletewhen i burn the toast, my funny husband swears he loves it that way even more! a positive perspective can be a wonderful thing.
I rarely watch the news anymore. Not only is the reporting depressing, but when there is a real tragedy (like the Tucson shootings) the media analyze it ad nauseum. The day after 9/11, my husband and I went kayaking just to get away from the TV! As for the weather, we're under a beautiful blanket of snow that I call "free insulation!" I hate the cold, but winter also allows more sunshine through the bare trees...which reminds me, I need to get busy on the latest OLW challenge!
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