Over-reporting tragedy??

Shit happens.

-- Clint Searl.............We deserve what we tolerate

I can’t tell you how many times in the last 10 years the news has fortold of the snow storm of the century coming, most of the time there is no snow. The worst snow weve had here wasnt really predicted to be much of a snow. Every time the stores are out of milk bread and toilet paper, it has to be some conspiracy between Charmin, the dairies and bakeries.

You aren’t the only one, Ted. It isn’t just TV, either. All of the news media operate on the philosophy of “If it bleeds, it leads”. Any “good” news is held back to puff pieces at the end of the broadcast – right after sports and the weather. It’s not all their fault. Several years ago, some news shows tried dialing back on the gloom and doom only to see their ratings go in the tank.

I also get annoyed at their attempts to make news. A couple of weeks ago, a bottle nosed dolphin was spotted in a creek feeding into San Feancisco Bay. The CBS channel showed film and had someone from Fish and Game who said that it really wasn’t uncommon for a dolphin to be there, that it was probably feeding and in no danger, and could swim back into the bay whenever it wanted to.

The NBC and ABC channels ran the same story but breathlessly talked about the dolphin being “trapped” or “stranded”. One reporter interviewed a bystander who demanded that someone “do something”. I later heard that people were heading to the creek to “help”.

I used to watch the news religiously, but for the past couple of years I’ve been switching to the History Channel or an old movie. – lol

-- Adversity doesn't build character...................it reveals it.

I took up woodworking instead

-- Greg, No. Cal.

The media is so bad,I’ve started watching Sesame Street. I’m 66 years old! Don’t laugh,my wife gets a kick out of singing songs that she sang her kids when they were little.
I agree with Sawkerf. By the time the media gets done with a story you would think the world was ending.
Some of the newscasters aren’t too bad but there is one…woman..that needs to retire shes been around too long. Everything she trys to “spin” sounds terrible

-- Don't rollerskate in a buffalo herd

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for this breaking news:
Mutant deranged maniacal chipmunks are snatching children from their bedrooms all across the area. Two suspects, Chip and Dale, are in custody. Authorities believe that there are hundreds of others still at large and that they are organizing the rampage via Twitter.

Stay tuned for details at 11. In the meantime, lock up your children and your nuts.

-- "Too much hurry ruins the body. I'll sit easy … fan the spark" - I. Anderson

I particularly love the fascination the news has with the man on the street interview. As if the average person has any expertise to add to most news stories; but they can throw out all kinds of worthless speculation to get folks riled up.

It’s also sad how little trouble they go to to check their facts. I remember a number of years ago now there was a liquid nitrogen tanker that had jackknifed and flipped on a local highway. The news was reporting nitrogen to be a highly flammable gas and there was a risk of explosion. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry.

-- John

I really enjoy the stories involving gangs. Some gang banger gets shot and the reporters line up the victims family members who always describe him as having all of the best qualities of an alter boy and eagle scout.

-- Adversity doesn't build character...................it reveals it.

It’s like being fed the same dinner, day in, day out. You wouldn’t care for it anymore.
News is big business driven by viewing figures and advertising revenue, so it’s little wonder it gets sensationalised.
Being constantly subjected to the worst of human nature is enough to bring out the apathy in anyone.

-- Do or do not, there is no try

I gave up watching the news about 11 years ago just to prevent any of that kind of thing.

Edward R. Morrow is spinning in his grave.

-- Trying to find an answer to my son’s question: “…and forming organic cellulose by spinning it on its axis is interesting, why?”

My 2 cents…. we live in a fallen world…. and none of the horror and tragedy should be in the least bit surprising to a realist.

None the less, I can relate to the struggle to not become emotionally insensitive to the needs of others, so I zealously filter the media I let enter my families life.

We gave television the boot about 14 years ago and have only selectively consumed video media that we carefully select via DVDs and streaming since. (Netflix is awesome).

We are a family of readers…. and try to stay focussed on really good quality literature…. filtering out the pulp fiction.

We’re on the do not call list and use call waiting to screen out what gets through…. If we happen to pick up and find it’s any kind of political, charitable or commercial solicitation… we hang up immediately, even if it’s an organization that we like and support… they do not have permission to harass us at home.

Even so, I feel the need to know what’s going on in the world around me… but just keeping up with the news via. black and white text (mostly read online) or audio (via. sane radio news) is enough to leave you feeling pretty jaded.

So we don’t live in a bubble… but we try to guard our hearts.

Just be glad if you don’t live in a second or third world country (both my wife and I traveled overseas pretty extensively b4 we met).... then all of the tragedy you’re seeing now would be going on all around you, every day.

Nothing will torment your soul like driving past what is likely a dead or dying person and not being able to stop to help, because you know it’s an extremely dangerous place… and even if you’re willing to take the personal risk to do so, you don’t have the right to endanger the people you’re traveling with.

-- Matt, Pine is fine, but Oak's no joke!

Turtles all! It’s fine to hide and hermit away, shielding ones eyes from the world. And yes there is a lot of bad things out there, but there is much much more good in the world than bad. Pollyanna? Not at all. Change for the better in anything can’t come using closed eyes. Hide away if you choose, cry about the world going to hell if that makes you happy but as for me this is a marvelous place with unbelievable things all about us. Live in this moment. Change what you have power to change and let go of what is out of your hands.It’s a sickness that harms the heart to do anything less.

-- ~Just A Guy With A Hammer~

One of my most common sayings is “it’s a ruff life.” My wife and kids have probably heard me say that a thousand times – and it is a ruff life. However, I sure have enjoyed mine.

helluvawreck
https://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

Lol, Jonathan! Newsflash: kids build bomb in their basement by following internet recipe found here at this link!

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

Are things really worse than they were say 50 to 100 years ago or is it just the fact that we can and do hear about everything today.

Has mankind deteriorated?
Or are we just being made more of the fact that there is a lot of evil out there?

I don’t know but I know things that happen in our “safe” backyard seem to be a little more horrific.

-- "I never met a board I didn't like!"