Media: What Trust?

My Comments to Dan Gillmor on the lecture [ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2002/lecture5_text.shtml ]: Truth is relative and changing. If one looks at religion or politics, one can quickly see people who have developed perceptions of issues which are diametrically opposed. Is it deception to not be willing or able to craft a middle of the road piece?

If there is a deception, it is in the very concept of “objective journalism.” Our brains process all input through a combination of primitive emotional centers and higher intellect. If a person “fears global warming” that person (or organization) will use different words and choose different sources than someone who doesn’t care or from someone who is stuck in Minnesota in December and figures a little global warming might not be a bad idea!

To me, the issue is not control over the media. Each publication decides what they sell in the marketplace. Each writer decides what he sells in the marketplace. As one of the Q&A individuals pointed out, much fo the media today is focused on “tittle-tattle” because such topics combine both story telling and gossip. Much of the rest is around “fear of loss” emotional manipulations. People tune in, and buy what is being sold.

When teaching my children, I try to convey that:

• Each of us has our own unique view of truth. Ultimate reality (what some call Truth with a capital T), like the Mind of God, is beyond human comprehension.
• Every article, report, news brief, book, and research study is a story. As such it is a mixture of fact and fancy. Enjoy it as such, even get lost in the drama of it. Just remember that there is always more to the story.
• Each of us is selling--in exchange for money, respect, position, or attention. And, we adapt what we offer to the marketplace--consciously or unconsciously.
• The wisest individuals understand in their hearts that they can never be objective. (def. expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations).

From a cultural standpoint, we carry around illusions, propogated by the media, of objectivity, trustworthiness, and independence. More accurately it is infotainment or entertainment that gets us thinking, interacting, responding, fearing, or rejoicing.