By: Emery R.
Saying that the news these
days isn’t happy is an understatement; it’s downright depressing. At times, the
headlines blaring at us from the tops of newspapers, scrolling from right to
left at the bottoms of television screens, and popping up as notifications on
phones feel like tragedy-steeped white noise; a saddening soundtrack to our
daily lives. As a result of the steady deluge of disheartening events, many
people have opted to turn off the news alerts on their phones, to avoid the
alphabet soup of news channels, to simply block out the news altogether. While
I understand the feelings and the reasoning behind this, I truly believe that
it is not the right course of action to take. Whatever else you choose to do,
you should continue to read, watch, hear, or otherwise consume the news.
First and foremost, you should pay attention to the news
because it is important to know what is going on–in both the United States and
the rest of the world. Although what happens is oftentimes outrageous and
heartbreaking, refusing to acknowledge the existence and occurrence of such
events is about as damaging to those affected as the original devastation.
Having a general public that is aware of what is going on encourages positive
change. Refusing to become a witness to wrongdoing of any kind is selfish and
does nothing to hold those responsible accountable. In fact, it does the exact
opposite. Remember, whatever pain that you or I feel reading, watching, or hearing
about something is nowhere near as great as the pain of someone who was
directly impacted by that incident.
The next prominent reason why you should keep an eye on
the news is that is invaluable to learn how to recognize things such as media
bias. The selection of the stories that are communicated to the masses and how
those stories are covered provide the most honest reflections of American
society in existence. It is absolutely necessary, for example, to be able to
discern how people are presented in the media based on qualities such as skin
color (front and center), but also gender, age, capability, etc., and how the
media presentation of these people impacts our perception of them in day to day
life. We must always be aware of how much power the media has in influencing
our perspectives, and we should evaluate those perspectives accordingly,
knowing of the presence of bias.
The third and final reason why you should read the news
is that being cognizant of what is happening in our country, and being
cognizant of what is happening in other parts of the world gives you insight
into the behavior of the people around you. You might better understand why
they feel upset, why they are outraged, why they say certain things, where
their opinions are coming from. This leads to more complex conversations being
had, more perspectives explored, and ultimately, having those complex
conversations and exploring those perspectives are what will make you a more
dynamic and a more conscientious person.
In conclusion, you should always make sure to pay
attention to the news. Purging the news from your life does not improve
anything in the long term. It only creates a temporary bubble that is sure to
be popped when someone says, in an amazed, yet horrified tone,
“Wait, you don’t know what
happened yesterday?”
It is
our duty, as citizens of the United States and the planet Earth, to be aware of
what is going on, so that we can form deeper perspectives, so that we can hold
people accountable, and so that we can demand change when it is needed.
Ignorance, especially willful ignorance is unacceptable. It is only through
awareness that we can build a better world, for ourselves, and for those who
come after us.
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