Here’s the Thing

For the most part, people may be divided into two camps: Those who hate the media, and those who love to hate the media.

Over the past year, hatred of all types has been amplified, hasn’t it? The news chronicles our societal break down on a daily basis, with this week’s Las Vegas massacre as a horrific example of life in America today.

Do you hate the media because it brings you an up-close, often frightening look at what we’ve become? Or do you hate it because you simply don’t trust what it’s telling you?

One of the most interesting backstories of 2017 is how the news media found its mojo. Despite years of being beaten down by diminishing circulation numbers and dwindling ad revenues, near-lifeless ink-stained wretches and talking heads have sprung back into action. Perhaps being referred to as “fake news” was what was needed to remind these people why they get out of bed in the morning?

Where we’ve now landed is in a time where the media is producing the type of work that makes the astute news consumer realize there’s no such thing as “the media.”  Today’s news comes in many flavors — news, talk, satire, documentaries and yes, even certified fake — and the public needs to place a premium on knowing the difference. Otherwise, you let the media do the thinking for you. Ah, perhaps that’s why you hate it so?

Today’s news media is a stark turnabout, especially for the millennial generation, which really couldn’t tell the difference between news and xbox gaming, until now.  It’s a renewed news media showing up for work in the morning, not only determining the public conversation with what it chooses to cover, but driving the conversation like it hasn’t in years, pushing for answers on topics few want to discuss, for which no one has answers.

While we can endlessly debate the yin-yang of news and its impact on society, it is the news that connects us to each other and, when used properly, enables us to meet the challenges we need to overcome.