My husband likes to watch the nightly news on tv. I used to, I do want to know what's going on in our area and in the world. But either the news has become a nightly house of horrors, or I have become more sensitive to all the negativity in recent years.
On any given night here our tv stations present story after story of all the dark regional, national, and international events, laying them one atop another until I feel suffocated by all the misery in the world. Most surely it exists, we would be fools to deny that. But, dear God, are there not also newsworthy events that might lift our spirits and restore our hope in humanity even a tiny bit?
For me, the issue is one of emotional saturation. I know terrible things happen to people, to good people, to innocent people...I know, I know, I know! I don't have to be reminded via graphic description and video every night of the abuse, the neglect, and the violence, the devastation, and the loss. I get it! It horrifies me. How can so many things go so wrong? Watching this endless spew of negativity before bed each night is a sure ticket to nightmares and daytime anxiety over all that could go wrong in your life or the lives of those you love.
I believe that public education is important. Issues kept under wraps have a tendency to grow and multiply. I am not in denial about the existence of evil in our world. I just don't want to be bombarded by it in new reporting with no semblance of balance. It depresses me, it makes me want to scream at the insanity, and cry to know that people could do such horrible things to one another.
I am told that sickness sells, and that this is what people want to see, that there is a fascination with "train wrecks". I fear that what we really have is the desensitization of our society, overtime shock gives way to indifference and the eventual acceptance that what we witness on tv is the norm of life... it's "just the way things are".
What if just for twenty-four hours a ban on negative news reporting was put in place and enforced? News stations would have to redefine what was newsworthy to report, reporters might actually have to get out there and look for some uplifting stories to fill that time slot with. They are out there, you know it and I know it too.
So it all comes back to us, if we don't watch this nightly crapfest the ratings will go down. If we began campaigns to bring decency back to the nightly news would they listen? I think perhaps the bigger question is does anybody even care. My husband says it doesn't bother him that much, he just watches to learn about major events and is able to tune out the rest.
Maybe it's just me, I've never been able to tune out hurt and horror, whether I know the victims or not, it tears at my heart and soul. I want to make it better, I want us all to think about how we can make it better... and we could begin by shining a light on the good things that do happen, or at least focusing on some of the things people are doing in response to what's gone wrong. I think that it's long since time for a channel called The Good News!
