As America’s slowest-rising columnist, I am blessed to be in a number of fine newspapers. It is not a particularly large number, but it is a number nonetheless.
I feel it is my responsibility to read as many of these newspapers as possible, so I can see what people are talking about, and then write about something totally different.
I recently stumbled upon the words of a nationally syndicated columnist, whose words carry far more weight than mine. The columnist was boasting about having tuned out “the news” for seven days (so far), and feeling “much better” for it.
The writer goes on to say that it can’t be good for us to be “constantly bombarded with information” and “differing viewpoints about world events.” Heavens, no. Why should anyone be exposed to differing viewpoints, right? It’s my way or the highway, baby!
This columnist’s viewpoints certainly differ from mine, and that’s okay with me. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m one of those weirdos like Abe Lincoln who appointed some Cabinet members who would challenge him, and even disagree with him. The “team of rivals,” remember?
I could comment on the absurdity of a news columnist who doesn’t follow the news, but that’s not what concerns me the most. It’s the fact that many people are following that advice: they are indeed tuning out the news.
This, despite the fact that we have more up-to-date information available to us than ever before. When I was growing up, and later as a young broadcaster, most of that information was solid journalism. There were also opinion pieces, clearly labeled as such, on the side. I could tell the difference and I appreciated that.
The national columnist and I agree on one thing: the flow of chaos that comes our way is nonstop. My younger self had a steady, controlled diet of information each day. TV and radio news in the morning, a newspaper in the afternoon, more broadcast news in the evening, and a couple of magazines per week. Those periodicals were aided by the gift of time, enabling journalists to provide thoughtful analysis and commentary.
Now, of course, many opinion hosts react to events immediately, with no apparent desire to research or verify first. Their goal is to provoke anger and outrage among those who need it like oxygen. This formula has proven to be quite profitable.
Many of my public interactions go something like this. “Hey David, it’s good to meet you, but I don’t keep up with the news anymore. It’s very depressing.”
I totally get that. My job is to tell you what’s going on in the world. It depresses me too.
Another frequent complaint: “Y’all are making our president look bad.” I reply, “How so?” They reply, “Y’all show him being angry and making inappropriate comments.”
Here’s another one: “Y’all covered up Joe Biden’s declining health.” With all due respect, if you saw him during the past few years and did not notice the ravages of age, you were not paying attention. It would have been easier for “the evil media” to hide the Grand Canyon.
(For those who follow the news, you know that former President Biden has been diagnosed with an advanced form of cancer. You may have also seen President Trump in the Oval Office saying, “I don’t feel sorry for him, he’s vicious.” Maybe that’s one of those inappropriate comments we are guilty of showing.)
And of course, we get called “fake news,” a catch-all term that has emerged in recent years to signify anything with which one does not agree.
Is “the news” perfect? Far from it. The reporters I know are well aware of the frequent criticism, and they work hard to earn your trust in a difficult environment.
But before you tune us out completely, remember this. When your taxes are raised, when your neighborhood is rezoned for a different school, when your medication is more expensive or no longer available, or when your insurance program is in danger of being discontinued, we often hear you say, “What? Nobody told me!”
That may be true. Especially if you have stopped keeping up with the news.
