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Saturday, October 11, 2014

Lost in the news



Anyone else think that when flu season hits everyone's going to think they have Ebola? Flu is serious enough. People die from it, but nothing like the fatality rate of Ebola. A guy can't even sneeze on a plan without a full hazmat response these days. People are going to freak out.

Then again, maybe they won't. By then some other “one big thing” may be dominating the news cycle.

Remember Ukraine? Fukushima? The time the earth blew up and we all escaped on the giant Space Ark?

It seems the news can only handle a couple of big stories, and only for a little while. Whatever they focus on becomes the most important thing in the world -or so we are led to believe.

Not all that long ago the news was full of nothing but speculation about a certain missing Malaysian airliner. Experts were trotted out and put through their paces. Government spokesmen made serious announcements. It seems just about everyone who could put some sort of spin on the story had their day in the sun. Well, nothing much has come out if, but that story has disappeared almost as completely as the plane.

Most of the time the things that don't dominate the news at the things most folks have to worry about. Little things sneak up on people and become full blown crises before all but a select few notice. While we are focused on Ebola, some other disease could quietly be making inroads and we are not prepared for it. Some economic mess like the derivatives bubble could be bursting and we wouldn't know about it in time to do anything constructive.

Another big mistake people make is to focus on the big stuff and ignore the stuff close to home. They might be in panic about an Ebola outbreak on another continent, but blissfully ignore their diabetes and high blood pressure. They may worry about the stock market, but have no interest in their town's economy. It's easier to worry about social trends in the wider world than to deal with our own kids.

The news all to often is a distraction with little actionable information. Just when our attenion starts to waver from “the big story” they find another story to panic about. We are easily distracted by new and shiny things.

Then there are the old stories that we forget about and probably shouldn't. Fukushima is just as bad as it ever was, but since it's not in the daily news many people think the problem was solved.

I'm still a news junkie, but I take it for what it is -entertainment to sell advertising. It's a good idea to keep one's eyes open on the things around them. That's where most of your real problems will come from. Good thing that those are also the problems people can have at least some influence over.

-Sixbears

16 comments:

  1. News stories are picked solely on their shock or sympathy value, like you said, to sell advertising. Truth and common-sense don't sell.

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    1. There's no money in reporting on the misdeeds of advertisers and regulators.

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  2. Most all people have a very short attention span. I believe this is why people keep re-electing the same scum to office.

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  3. I read my local newspaper which does not include national news. I don't watch the news on TV. I do attend county commission meetings from time to time. Some may think I'm sticking my head in the sand but really....eeeeeeeebbbbbbooooooollllllaaaaaa?

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    Replies
    1. It's the stuff on the county level that can directly hit you where you live.

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  4. Yep. Anyone remember the Gulf of Mexico oil spill ? Gunna have to evacuate a 200 mile zone around the perimeter around the Gulf. Dead fish and birds everywhere. We all gunna die!!!

    Almost as accurate as Ted Dansen saying the oceans would be devoid of life in 10 years back in 1992 (?). And Phil posts that the Antarctic ice is as thick as EVER recorded. Al Gore and global warming advocates - you listening ?

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    1. I'm just glad they were able to plug that beast before it did turn into a worse case situation.

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  5. And what they do report on the news is distorted, to say the least. I have been witness to several things that when I read the paper or heard the news, they were describing something I had never seen. . .

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    1. I too have been where the news was happening and wondered what the heck the reporters thought were writing about. News is slapped together pretty quick, and often by people who know little of the subject.

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  6. what you worry?

    no problem, after all like a certain texan and two canadians all wind up as stewmeat...

    so be happy, don't worry

    Wildflower

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  7. Great post!
    I am glad to see others starting to see what is so obvious.
    The news media is all smoke and mirrors! How quickly today's red hot news, just fades away....

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    1. News goes in and out of fashion quicker than lady's handbags.

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  8. These days I make conscious effort to avoid the "news" I hardly watch TV, don't read newspapers. I listen to the radio though. Its very hard to avoid though. Its everywhere. I think its done on purpose to keep the population in a constant anxiety state worrying too much about all those threats to "our way of life" to see the real picture. Maybe I am just paranoid!!

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    Replies
    1. You aren't paranoid if weirdos really are out to get you.

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