I haven’t met anyone who is thrilled about our choices for this presidential election. You might be the exception, but the passion just doesn’t seem to be there for either side.
What troubles me is that we are no longer just skeptical. We’ve become distrusting, fearful, and now cynical. And the cynicism is growing.
The problem for me is not that it’s directed toward the candidates or even the process. My frustration is that we are directing that same cynicism and distrust towards each other.
A country or a community can never be great if we are cynical of each other. If we start assuming the worst about our fellow Americans it only breeds fear, hatred, racism, elitism, classism, and isolation.
I’m not a sociologist or a psychologist, but I have a hunch on what keeps escalating the tensions and whipping up fear. I’m not saying it’s causing all of the fear, I’m saying it’s multiplying it…exponentially.
What is “it”?
Commercial news.
It includes all of the cable news channels like CNN, MSNBC, & FOX. Talk radio is certainly in the mix as well.
News outlets exist to make money. Fear sells. Fear even raises money. Our local public radio isn’t exempt either. Recently during a pledge drive they played recorded clips of someone from the opposite side of their political view point going on a rant. The pitch was if you don’t donate now this voice will win. Fear won.
We seem to like bad news. We are drawn to it. We all slow down to see how bad the accident was. We spread news of our “friend’s” failure faster than the stomach bug.
Think about the commercial news business model for a second. People like bad news therefore we need to scour our country looking for the most bizarre, weird, and horrible stories possible so we attract more eyeballs. More eyeballs means higher advertising fees which results in us getting filthy rich.
After seeing thousands of hours of horrific examples of human depravity you can begin to think there are no decent or moral people left in the world. You start growing cynical of everyone around you.
What makes it worse is that when a real social problem catches the nation’s conscience, the machine goes to work scouring for more examples because they need something to talk about on a 24-hour news channel. The pot is kept boiling in what can only seem like an attempt to create news.
The result in the delivery and the frequency has resulted in social change, but not the change that helps those affected by the injustice. The resulted social change is cynicism.
Commercial news gives the impression that each problem is pervasive and permanent.
It’s like how the lottery always shows the one person who won the big payout. We are left with the impression winning is pervasive…everyone eventually wins or at least lots of people win.
Why don’t the commercials show the millions who never win anything ever? Why don’t they interview people who have lost way more than they have ever won? Because no one would ever play if they knew the truth that the odds are never in your favor…ever.
If Commercial News left you with the impression that every police officer and public servant is incorruptible and all followers of Jesus make the world better, no one would watch.
Instead the news stories are about people who violate a core tenant of their responsibility…a police officer who is supposed to uphold the law but is found breaking it…a Christian who is to be known by love but isn’t. You watch enough of those stories and you can become distrusting and fearful of not just certain groups but everyone.
A small sampling of news stories suddenly begins to represent the whole. We start to believe the logical fallacy the lottery wants us to believe.
Play a little game with me. Fill in the blank with the first word that comes to mind.
All cops are _____________.
All priests are ___________.
All transgender people are ____________.
All gun owners are ____________.
All Prius drivers are ___________.
All Muslims are ____________.
All Christians are ____________.
If what you wanted to fill the blank with was negative and you truly don’t believe that stereotype, where do you think the stereotype came from?
Could it have come from what the commercial news media chose to show you as a representation of the whole?
Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. We have some big problems in need of attention but that’s my point. No attention is given to the solution or those working toward the solution. The nightly news’ positive story usually has nothing at all to do with what they spent the entire show talking about.
The other night I was watching the network news with my wife and we both laughed out loud at the feel good story because it was so ridiculous compared to the painful injustices that were previously shown.
Are you a cynical person? Do you find it hard to trust people who are different from you? Do you find it hard to trust anyone?
If you answered “yes” I want you to think about this:
How much commercial news do you consume on a daily basis? Include TV, radio, and digital forms in your tally.
Would you try an experiment with me? Here is what I want you to try. Would you stop consuming any form of news for 30 days? Maybe that sounds irresponsible to you but don’t worry, if something big happens, I guarantee your friends will fill you in.
It’s going to be tough if you are addicted to commercial news. You’ll see all kinds of click bait on Twitter and Facebook. (I even used a little click bait with the title.)
I’m betting that if you cut out “news” you’d be less fearful and cynical. You might even find yourself growing more trusting of others. If you keep watching your party’s “news” channel I doubt you’ll grow more hopeful that the future will be bright.
Commercial news isn’t relaxing entertainment…it’s part of the problem. One guy recently told me he had to stop all news media consumption because he was afraid he was going to have a heart attack!
Let me encourage you to go one step further than just fasting from news. Because of my faith perspective I believe life is not about inaction, but about action. So with that background I want to ask you to do one more thing. Would you spend some time with those you love to hate or those you are most cynical towards? I’m asking you to love those around you and not just those who are like you. You don’t have to do it forever, but just try it for 30 days.
Imagine if everyone did just those two simple things for the next 30 days:
1. Stopped watching, reading, or listening to commercial news
2. Spent time with people who were different from them
At the end of 30 days we probably wouldn’t have changed the unemployment rate, or paid off the national debt, or fixed any social issue…
But if nothing else I think we would have taken a significant step in making America kind again.
On a fundamental level if we remain cynical of each other we will never be great.
