Probably not!
“The News” presented to us today is more a parade of
commentaries and opinions than it is a presentation of current events.
It is like watching a football match on TV and having
the match commentators tell us what the defensive strategy of a team should be,
or where on the field the striker needs to be running to. Sports commentators
seem to be more interested in brandishing their haughty knowledge of how the
players on the teams should be playing the game, than in commenting upon what
is actually happening in the game.
“The News” is no different.
Indeed, if one wishes to become aware of the world and
the reasons behind what is going on, then switching off the TV would be a good
first step. The “News” we watch today is more likely to obscure and obfuscate
reality than it is to elucidate it.
A few weeks ago I participated in a group conversation
about the “News.” There were the obligatory complaints that it is all negative
and how this played havoc with our emotional states. But there was one comment
that caught my attention. Someone commented that watching the news was not all
bad because, ‘it gives you something to talk about.’
After a brief chuckle to myself I realised he was
correct in one sense: people do talk about “the News.” However, it is unlikely
to be an informed conversation as the conversation is likely to simply repeat
the opinions that are being slanted as “news.” If not repeated, then another
flawed opinion is likely to be added to the conversation to challenge the
initial spurious argument.
Nor is having the “News” to talk about able to bring
about greater awareness. The “News” is a diversion. Watching Roman gladiatorial
games no doubt also gave the Romans something to talk about.
Meantime the Roman Empire was collapsing.
Just as our civilisation today is collapsing. But we’ll
never hear or see that on “the News.”
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