note: I do not claim any allegiance to any journalistic, international, or governmental entity. I myself claim to be an observer and skeptic. Interpret the following as you will.
I consider myself an advocacy for media-literacy. In fact, I'm pretty much an advocate for literacy of all kinds. Understanding what the hell is happening is the first step towards analyzing and/or solving said thing (if said thing is bad...). At least in my book.
In light of recent and horrific current events, I find myself struggling to keep up with the facts as much as the perspective diaspora. Truth: the world would not function if it weren't for varying views of this semi-aquatic space-ball. Still, it seems opinions are interfering with the facts in a "religiously secular" kind of way.
At today's end, I find myself with a massive headache induced from both staring at my computer screen reading articles and the amount of information to be processed. I don't pretend to comprehend the "mini-war" (Jeffery Goldberg, The Atlantic) in Gaza, the politics surrounding the downing of Malaysia Flight 17, or what stick has made it's home in certain heads-of-states' posteriors. I do try, however, to put the pieces together.
On some level, media perpetuates a lack of understanding in it's viewers. Viewers are consumers. It makes sense that what is consumed has been tailored towards those consuming. Last week, I had a pretty heated soliloquy in the car (my father as solitary witness) about the lilting bias of news reporting on what would devolve into the latest Gazan-Israeli crisis. The United States, to my knowledge as a born-citizen, is a supporter of the Israeli state. If this is so, why does American news outlets appear to dispel negative views of Israel. Wouldn't logic state that a country's media supports what the government supports? Or rather, the government represents a collective consciousness?
In the most extreme of categorizations: the illogic of reporting with a negative-slant towards what policy-makers deem as all good and well can be subordinate; the logic of mutual support between media and politics can verge on propaganda. The questions that remain are (1) where does the US fall on the spectrum and (2) how does this affect the comprehension of viewers?
To this writer, the news and the government seem to be divided on hot-button issues. This seems to vary by outlet and issue. Regardless, this indecision is what makes us great and very, very confused. Being able to foster a wealth of viewpoints and the discussions thereof shows that viewers care about that media-literacy I mentioned in the beginning. On the other hand, the surge of op-ed writing - some with rather dangerous notions (I cite this morning's Wall Street Journal debacle) - in conjunction with global news organizations makes for tough or slow-going for anyone trying to discern fact from agenda.
While watching the news tonight, I realized this and had to write it. Note that this is fly-by writing and unedited beyond word choice and redundancy. Anyone who wants to discuss this piece, feel free to contact me. I am always a fan of more knowledge, and more articles in my queue to read.
CLE
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