Broken News

A local radio talk show host had an interesting premise. How much of what we hear on the news actually tells us the truth about our world? His claim: "It usually winds up misleading us grotesquely." I think the idea is worthy of considering.

First, what is the nature of the news media? Well, assuming that it is honest (that is, setting aside the bias we all know is there), we're still left with singular events. By its nature, the news isn't purporting to tell us about the world; it is telling us about unusual things. And I'm not complaining about that. It's just the way it is. The media, in order to keep your attention, will need to tell you about things that do not happen in your normal day. So we hear about the economy, crime, sports, tragedies, and the like. We may even sometimes hear about unusually good events. Still, they are all out of the ordinary because, well, the ordinary isn't news.

Now, consider this. How much of your perceptions are shaped by the news? You may want to say that it's not much, but I think you'd have to admit that it's not true. When terrorists flew airplanes into buildings in 2001, it altered everyone's perceptions. It brought about radical changes in our economy, our practices, our worldview. A more current example would be the economy. Day after day we see news items about how bad things are. Unemployment is at 6.7%, the highest in years. Last month employers laid off half a million workers. An estimated 10% of home owners are in foreclosure. The stock market is in a mess. We've been in a recession since last December. And so it goes. There is no question that this is affecting people. Whether or not they are actually impacted by the economic events, the reports are all about the pessimism of most people. why are they pessimistic? Well, look at the news!

Have you seen the problem yet? First, the news is out of the ordinary. Second, we tend to have our outlook shaped by the news. In other words, our perceptions of the world are shaped by things that are not common. We are, then, being grotesquely misled.

Here, let me try it from this direction. I will repeat the above news in reverse. On the employment issue, currently more than 93% of America's workforce is gainfully employed. In fact, so successful has the economy been over the years that the last time we saw unemployment this high was way back in 1993. More, did you know that during our boom years of the 80's, unemployment was up to 10%? We recovered just fine from that, didn't we? And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while we did indeed lose some 673 million jobs in November, in the same month the year before we gained 631 million jobs. (Why didn't anyone tell us?) In other words, these things change all the time. On the housing front, it's good to know that 9 out of 10 homeowners are doing just fine paying their mortgage. Here, let me put it this way. In terms of raw numbers, in America today you have only a 1 in 10 chance of going into foreclosure. Well, you get the idea.

See what I mean? Take driving, for instance. The news shows car crashes and the traffic report tells you how many accidents have occurred, but it doesn't stop you from driving. Why? Well, you've driven enough to know that the vast majority of the time you will get to and from your destination safely ... despite the news indications to the contrary. It's the same in all sorts of aspects of life. People are not robbed, murdered, assaulted, or raped every day. Sure, some are, but those are the news items -- the out of the ordinary -- not the normal. Every day, children go out to play and come home safely. Job seekers are still getting jobs. Oh, and did you know that the most Christians do not hate homosexuals? Good parents, every day, love their children without beating them or injuring them. Life, in fact, is largely nothing for the news to speak about. That is what should shape our perceptions instead of the out of the ordinary events that bombard us every day on our news broadcasts.