If it Walks like a Duck

It is difficult to know exactly what is happening in the Middle East, even if you follow the news closely. Like the financial crisis that continues to unravel, the truth about the Middle East is only being discovered piece by piece, and the things that were said to be true at one time are only gradually being revealed otherwise. Nowadays, it has occurred to me, that one can be terribly misled by listening to these news reports, and that's a shame, because I used to rely on news outlets like CNN and newspaper reports to try and stay informed, like a good citizen ought to.

However, I am not here today to suggest that we should disregard the news networks and other news sources entirely either. They serve a purpose, and do, in a way, keep us informed. If the news stops making sense, you can generally conclude that things are getting pretty bad out there, and the news agencies are beginning to find it difficult to offer complete coverage. So they begin to goof around.

The coverage, and the scoop, in fact, may be a matter of controversy, something that nobody agrees on, and while I say the truth is out there, it's being kept away from us. And old saying states, "if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's a duck." Think about that the next time you hear a goofy explanation of something serious that happened.

For instance, think about the suicide bombings that are going on in Iraq and elsewhere. What exactly is it that might drive someone to be that way? There is something else the matter, something else is wrong. The news doesn't tell us really, perhaps there is a good reason. If, in this fashion, the news reports do not make sense, it means we need to do some praying for the world, because, these incidents are quite awful, every time they happen, it means there was something wrong, something that shouldn't have happened.

Why the news chooses to give such insensitive treatment to things that are so important, I cannot understand. I don't know why they do it, but it doesn't make sense. Like I said, I guess it means we need to pray.

It is tempting sometimes to blame the news media for giving us false reports, but, it means we need to do a better job of screening the information that we accept.

Another point I'd like to make, is that event if the information the news agencies offer isn't patently false, it doesn't mean that the truth is available therein. Facts can completely obscure the truth to those who were there. If you have ever tried to cover a news issue, you may understand.

Coverage of a news issue can have two important dimensions: breadth and depth. Too much of one is pointless without the other. Quality news reporting will provide a suitable and appropriate level of each. This is what we should look for in trying to find good information.