World Peace – Why the News Is Always Bad

When a new dog bites someone that’s not so news, but if a dog bites another dog that’s news. (Charles Anderson, American Journalist, 1819-1997) The media is sometimes blamed for fomentations of news. But it is also sometimes credited for fomentations of rumors, innuendos, and downright silly statements. Take the case of former President George W. Bush’s “Read my lips, no new taxes!”

A closer look might show that there’s nothing new in that – although he could have been speaking figuratively. In any case, his comment and the news it generated, especially in the conservative press, was a complete distraction from serious issues. No one should be anywhere near that tone of voice. It is dangerous and feeds upon itself. The tone of news can actually cause more problems than it solves.

When the world looks like a burning building, people’s attention is distracted from the real news at hand, which is the cost of living and how we can improve it. When it seems like there are two fires raging in the Middle East with no obvious solution in sight, citizens’ attention turns to the news, which leads to an increase in anti-American sentiment, which might cause more people to side with terrorists or others who would do us harm in the name of religion, nation, or community. The media cannot keep abreast of everything – and we know it. Sometimes they simply report what they are told by government officials. And when it comes to world peace and security, the news media has neither the time nor the expertise to tell us what’s really going on.

Those who claim to keep track of the news are often those who have the least credibility. They themselves are not the ones running the news agencies or publishing the news. It is those in the know that running the news agencies. The news that informs us about those who would do us harm and the world government that threatens us with attack are those things that must be kept in the news.

The problem with the news, according to those who can answer the questions, is that it sometimes makes things look worse than they are. In other words, the news will draw attention to problems before they get fixed. A half-hearted attempt to fix the problem can seem as if it enhances it.

Perhaps one day, someone might take the time to seriously report on the world and the news. They would report on the good and the bad in everything and make clear the difference between the two. But until that day comes, we must rely on those who are prepared to tell us what really is going on. The news should not be a cudgel that causes us to feel that we are fighting an uphill battle. Rather, it should be seen as a light beam of hope that will hopefully help us continue to climb toward world peace.