Thoughts from the Middle
The Confused Twenty-first century American
by
Robert Fischer
Who’s confused? Not Ricky “The Rock” Nemo, former navy seal and now a defensive tactics instructor at the federal law enforcement training center. The Rock could handle anything. Yet, he had his concerns. Not fears mind you, but concerns. There were mixed messages in the news like keeping his cholesterol in balance; his blood pressure under control, how much coffee was really good for him and now cancer from salmon. How much wine should he drink to help prevent high cholesterol without becoming an alcoholic? And then there was his government, which over the past two years has promoted the fear of illegal immigrants, and possible terrorist cells operating in his backyard. The terrorists could be from international organizations or they might be home grown nuts. Who could you trust? That’s a good one. Everywhere the Rock turned there were advertisements and news reports that played on the fear factor.
What ever happened to the good old days when Americans drank milk and ate steaks, eggs and bacon without fear? Life certainly seemed simpler then.
In today’s news, reporting includes commentary and opinion on almost every major event, and commercials promise many fixes to all types of ailments. And if that weren’t bad enough, the events are covered on multiple media sources with pundits who sometimes spin the stories to a point where they are no longer recognizable.
It seems as if those we used to trust with providing us with information about the world we live in have turned against us, with the intent of keeping us in a continual state of confusion. Why? I’m sure that it has something to do with ratings, as well as our own perverse interest in war, murder, and other types of mayhem. (“If it bleeds, it leads!”)
Still, wouldn’t it be nice if the news were reported in the manner of Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Merle? And won’t it be nice if we could trust our politicians again, like we did before Watergate, Arms for Hostages, the Iraq misinformation war, and the more recent issues relating to the 2nd amendment, and Russian collusion in our election.
How do we go about restoring that which we have lost? What can we do to get our news sources back to reporting news honestly and reporting all the news, not just things that promote company agendas or a drive for ratings?
First, an historical footnote. While many of us lament the growth of social media sources and pundits, a look into our history makes it abundantly clear that political favoritism or promotion of editor positions has been with us since before the formation of the United States. The big difference is that most consumers of information knew the sources were biased, or publications were clearly marked as editorials. Of course, there were exceptions, such as when someone using a pseudo name wrote a less than truthful letter to the editor concerning political opponents.
Our founding fathers believed that in order for our democracy to succeed, the country needed an educated and informed citizenry. At that time, Information was provided by newspapers and pamphlets. Later radio, magazines, and television became part of the dissemination process. Today, we add social media through the internet and cellphone.
Today we live in a world where the information available is greater than ever. At the touch on a keypad or a query to Contina or Siri, we can have a potential answer to almost any question. This technology makes it possible to do research without visiting a library. However, people must learn to evaluate the sources that they use in their research.
The sad truth is that most readers are not critical of the material that they consume. Some just don’t have the time to consider that there might be alternative views, or that the facts might not support the their conclusions. Others are just happy to read something that supports their own views. And there are still others who might want to critically review their reading, but do not know how to go about it.
In today’s world of “fake news,” we all need to be skeptical. We should all be asking for evidence that supports the materials that we read.. If you are interested in the truth, try the following popular sites: www.snopes.com, www.factcheck.org, www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/, and www.politifact.com.
A few simple suggestions may also help. Remember that opinion pieces are usually not entirely factual. Questions to be asked include: Is the story believable? (Does it seem to present something that doesn’t make sense?) Are quotes taken out of context? Is the story looking at the future? (Articles that discuss what might be in the future can’t be taken as fact.) Who is the news source? (Are you reading someone’s blog or an established publication with years of recognized reporting?) Are alternative points of view noted? (If you are only getting one side of the argument, you need to look for opposition options.) Look for the reporting of facts. Don’t accept some pundits interpretation.
I would suggest that whatever your political leaning, you need to read a variety of articles from both the left and right. The truth is possibly closer to the middle. Also, don’t disregard the main stream press. Network news, news magazines and newspapers that have been long established are still generally reliable sources. They have been here a long time. Experience in reporting is a plus. However, the interpretation of facts by pundits and the 24 hour news cycle has made it more difficult to determine the real facts.
Good luck!
Thoughts from the Middle by Robert J. Fischer 