The truth about news

Source: Plugged In

For those who think it's their civic duty to stay up-to-date on world affairs... Bear in mind that almost every source of news makes their money through advertisements. In order to stay in business and earn a profit, these news outlets need as many people to see their ads as possible. And because they're all selling the same product, they have to fight each other for your attention every single minute. The way the news earns your attention is NOT by providing you with useful or accurate information, but by shocking you with sensationalist headlines and artificial drama. In other words, the only way the news knows how to stay in business is by winding us all up. We're especially profitable for them when we are collectively terrified or enraged. Terrorist attack? Cha-ching! Non-stop coverage!

The sad truth is that news outlets no longer care about investigative reporting, biased agendas, relevant information, facts or whether they're poisoning their audience's psyche. All they care about is numbers: page views, shares, eyeballs for their ads. Even the "truth deliverers" and conspiracy websites play this game. It's an impossible undertaking to sort through their incessant distortion of reality, and you can never be sure if what you're reading is true...

~ Charlie Hoehn

The truth about news

Source: Plugged In

For those who think it's their civic duty to stay up-to-date on world affairs... Bear in mind that almost every source of news makes their money through advertisements. In order to stay in business and earn a profit, these news outlets need as many people to see their ads as possible. And because they're all selling the same product, they have to fight each other for your attention every single minute. The way the news earns your attention is NOT by providing you with useful or accurate information, but by shocking you with sensationalist headlines and artificial drama. In other words, the only way the news knows how to stay in business is by winding us all up. We're especially profitable for them when we are collectively terrified or enraged. Terrorist attack? Cha-ching! Non-stop coverage!

The sad truth is that news outlets no longer care about investigative reporting, biased agendas, relevant information, facts or whether they're poisoning their audience's psyche. All they care about is numbers: page views, shares, eyeballs for their ads. Even the "truth deliverers" and conspiracy websites play this game. It's an impossible undertaking to sort through their incessant distortion of reality, and you can never be sure if what you're reading is true...

~ Charlie Hoehn

What the doctor said

Photo Credit: Chinese Community Health Plan

He said it doesn't look good
he said it looks bad in fact real bad
he said I counted thirty-two of them on one lung before
I quit counting them
I said I'm glad I wouldn't want to know
about any more being there than that
he said are you a religious man do you kneel down
in forest groves and let yourself ask for help
when you come to a waterfall
mist blowing against your face and arms
do you stop and ask for understanding at those moments
I said not yet but I intend to start today
he said I'm real sorry he said
I wish I had some other kind of news to give you
I said Amen and he said something else
I didn't catch and not knowing what else to do
and not wanting him to have to repeat it
and me to have to fully digest it
I just looked at him
for a minute and he looked back it was then
I jumped up and shook hands with this man who'd just given me
something no one else on earth had ever given me
I may have even thanked him habit being so strong

~ Raymond Carver