Sometimes, I think we lose sight of what is truly important and tend to focus on issues that are, well, frivolous.
It’s odd that in a time of unlimited knowledge and data, it almost seems people are much more narrow-minded or lacking diversification. It feels to me that we listen, watch or read only those items that agree with our point of views.
We live in a time of boundless information. The problem is, where does this information come from? Is it possible that even with all that seems to be out there, we are actually getting less true information?
The Internet can be a very useful tool — if used properly. However, more and more we are seeing sites dedicated to one side or another with no consequences whether they tell the truth or not. Between political action groups posting false, opinionated information and calling it “fact” to sites that require no real verification such as Wikipedia, we are given a false sense of knowledge.
Television, radio and print are, frankly, no better. The reality is something like six corporations own more than 90 percent of these types of media. It almost seems as though it would be easier to pass off twisted, false or slanted information today than it would, say, 25 years ago.
In 1983, 90 percent of the country’s media was owned by 50 companies; today, it’s just the six — General Electric, News-Corp, Disney, Viacom, Time-Warner and CBS.
That is a very small number of executives controlling a very large portion of what is seen, heard and reported. For example, many newspapers, including this one, use The Associated Press to report a large portion of their news. Reuters owns AP and, according to a lot of information I have seen, the Rothschilds family owns Reuters.
Interesting huh?
How a financial juggernaut with tentacles into virtually everything essentially controls the company that supplies “news” to nearly every newspaper in the country is amazing. Talk about a potential conflict of interest. I suppose it’s the way of the world.
Which brings me to another argument that I will not delve deep into, but one I have to touch on since we’re here; the notion there is a liberal media is such a joke it’s incredible. Do you think the CEOs of those six companies are conservative or liberal?
That’s all I will say on that.
Television news reporting is another interesting area. Somewhere along the way, opinions and a slanted way of telling the story snuck into the mix. And let me be clear, this goes both ways. I can sit and listen to just the words chosen and manner in which it’s read and get a pretty good idea of how the reporter or anchor feels about said topic.
Maybe that’s the real issue here. Perhaps reporters/anchors can no longer be truly unbiased. Maybe they, too, have been bombarded with the constant barrage of misinformation that they, too, have succumbed to the difficult task of telling a story down the middle.
Anyone who has been in the media business for more than a week has seen a story minimized, under-reported or simply buried. Anyone claiming otherwise is simply lying. Let’s be clear, most of the stories are not Watergate or Benghazi; they are someone’s kid doing something stupid or something along the lines of drunk driving. But the fact remains, it was not given the same attention it may have been given were it some anonymous person.
The point to all of this is that we must begin to listen to all sides of issues, arguments and topics. We must stop being so entrenched and unyielding and calling it, “Taking a stand.” It’s not taking a stand, it’s being stubborn. And stubborn, ladies and gentlemen, is something I know a great deal about.
Even if what the other person is saying something that makes your blood boil, we must find a way to actually hear the idea before dismissing it.
Aristotle said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
There is a lot of information out there, but it is our job to find the truth. We need to stop being lazy and find it.
Richard Clark is the universal desk chief of Halifax ENC. You can reach him at 910-219-8452 or at Richard.Clark@jdnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at kpaws22.