American culture is an endless well of subject matter-think Donald Sterling, NBA owner. Lately, though, I have been thinking about all the global tragedies: Ukraine aggression, the South Korean ferry sinking,the loss of flight MH 370, the deadly Mt. Everest avalanche. Those are just the big headlines. Many more events go unnoticed: Egypt sentences 700 Morsi supporters to death, Syrian smugglers loot ancient ruins, Bedouins are now raising opium poppies to replace lost tourism dollars during the on-going Middle East conflicts.
As technology evolves, it is clear that people have not evolved to the same degree. The world is still shaped by conflict, aggression, and hate. One problem feeds into another, like the increase in opium production. The world turns in a vortex of human-caused suffering.
But then…..then I read about handfuls of people making a difference. The Christian Science Monitor, the winner of many Pulitzer Prizes for journalism and the best source of international news, has two sections (www.csmonitor.com) that renew my confidence in people.
People Making a Difference highlights positive, hardworking people who work to improve life for others. At the moment, the list of stories includes Sarah Gardener Raises Money to Aid Children through Yoga Reaches Out and Former Corporate Shark Now Feeds the Hungry.
The other section, Progress Watch, features stories about unexpected progress around the world. Right now the features include: Neither Heat nor Gloom: Afghan Post Office Delivers and Anti-Smoking Crusade Saves 8 Million Lives in Last 50 Years.
When I need a boost after reading about so many world tragedies, I run to People Making a Difference and Progress Watch for a dose of positive news. The Mayo Clinic reports that positive thinking changes our outlook on life, our attitude toward ourselves, our world view, and our health. I also believe that positive thoughts lead to positive actions, while thoughts of violence often lead to more violence.
The media is a powerful influence on people and what they think about. Yes, they contribute to a violent world by reporting so much violence. However, I also understand freedom of the press and the importance of reporting world events. My dad was a journalist his entire career and made sure we understood the importance of freedom of expression. I would never advocate controlling the press. However, with freedom comes responsibility. The same ethics that created Freedom of the Press should foster a Responsibility of the Press. The media that dwells endlessly on all the tragedies (that’s you CNN among others) could use that same energy to report more positive stories. Imagine: turning on the evening news and watching stories about people who work hard to make a difference in unfolding world events! Imagine positive energy displacing the aggression. Imagine a news media that nurtures a new way of thinking and being.
I know that is nothing but wishful thinking. Still, the consumer is what drives the media (via ratings) and we can make a difference by not reading or watching the violence, tragedy and celebrity-obsessed media. I removed all of those outlets from my RSS feed and will no longer watch CNN. Enough.
One last comment: I watched CNN from the day it started on cable TV. It really was a world leader in news, bringing quality coverage and great reporting. My dad and I often watched it together. So many of those early reporters are gone, or to their credit, they are not part of the obsessive teams covering the current world tragedies (Christiane Amanpour, my dad’s favorite). The tone of CNN’s coverage has completely changed; in my opinion they sold out to ratings and offer mostly junk these days, abandoning their early supporters.
