The Lowering of our Collective Standards

“What do you think the Devil is going to look like if he's around? Nobody is going to be taken in if he has a long, red, pointy tail. No. I'm semi-serious here. He will look attractive and he will be nice and helpful and he will get a job where he influences a great God-fearing nation and he will never do an evil thing... he will just bit by little bit lower standards where they are important. Just coax along flash over substance... Just a tiny bit. And he will talk about all of us really being salesmen. And he'll get all the great women.” – Aaron Altman, Broadcast News

 This blog was never intended to be a political forum but I struggle with not commenting on what has become an obvious blemish on our collective standards regarding the news. And it’s my blog so I can do what I want. So there. Insert foot stomping here.

Reading the news take time.

Time is precious commodity. There is never enough of it. I get it. I do.

We have evolved into a society of must have it right now this second information at our fingertips. Unfortunately we want all the facts from one source in easy to digest, 10 words or less, bite size bulleted chunks of information.

I tell my son often that if you want to take a position on an issue, fine, but you better do your due diligence before you stand up on a soapbox. And due diligence takes time. A responsible citizen of the world digging into any number of the litany of issues should be reading a variety of sources, asking questions, probing, digging, listening objectively to both sides of an argument before forming an opinion. Color me simplistic but it seems like critical thinking 101 to me.

I have turned into a big of a news junkie of late. Not on every issue. Probably not even on most issues. But I follow a few blogs around Madison and read a lot of sources on some of the hot issues around town. I admit shock and awe at what passes for thoughtful journalism. Or even thoughtful commentary. Instead there is biased, knee jerk, “journalists” who read one source and one source only, never ask any questions much less address them and then put it in print – where it is read by the masses. Masses who are want their news in easy to digest bite size chunks.

And that’s just what they are getting. Flash over substance.

Shame. Shame. Shame.