Our son Mark was hit by a projectile today. His older brother threw a car at him. Otherwise, life as far as we see it here is normal. Without minimizing the real dangers in parts of this country at the moment, I want to comment on the media’s portrayal of events. I read an article tonight about MSNBC which has an insight right at the top. The new general manager of MSNBC faults CNN:
“I have no interest in being anything like CNN,” said Abrams, a surprise appointment to replace Rick Kaplan last month. “The biggest weakness of CNN is I often find myself dozing off as I am watching.”
In other words, news fails if it is boring. He has a solution:
Abrams said he’s determined to make MSNBC’s programming “a little edgier, a little faster and more urgent” than before.
What that means is that Israel will always look like a battleground, unsafe for any but a wild-eyed journalist.
I remember my first introduction to this reality in journalism. I was a college student in Jerusalem and went with some friends to a taping of the Geraldo show. In those days the threat was from Iraq and the host went around before the show asking guests what they thought. At showtime, only the most disturbed people were interviewed. Those of us who thought calmly and rationally were ignored. But the picture in the States was that Israel was really dangerous and everyone was terrified. That’s no longer only the approach of the Geraldo show, it’s the way of mainstream network news. And on one hand, it makes sense. How much “news” is it to put me on TV saying that the Jerusalem area was quiet and peaceful today?
My request, then: please remember this the next time you turn the TV on (and before you send me that email).
On the other hand, if I changed my tone on this blog and got all distressed and fanatic, I bet I could get an interview on TV! Wait, I hear something, BOOOM, ahhhhhh! I think we’re all going to die. (CNN, my phone number is 972-2-765-4321; call now!)
Thanks Todd. I appreciate your calm and rational thinking even if Geraldo and the media don’t. I also appreciate this post since I have been receiving many comments and questions due to my impending trip there. Your posts help me to be better able to answer questions and to calm anxieties.
Good thing I read this before I shot off another email – just kidding. =) As always, thanks for the reality check and for just being real.
Amen!–People always ask if I was afraid when I went to Israel. I remind them that the news exaggerates, and rarely reports the good news. There are places that are unsafe in Israel (heck, there are unsafe places in the US), but I trusted my teachers to keep me out of harm. Thanks Todd! Sara FA98
Normalcy is boring, you’re absolutely right. Sensationalism is the order of the day, and has been for a long time.
I hope more people figure out (soon!) how the news business works. It drives me crazy!
In the meantime, I continue to pray for you and yours.