Media Reporting: Old Versus New

Columnist Steve Blow has been busy defending media against reports of excessive negativity, especially in the case of the Iraq war. To prove his point, he went back and read some newspapers from World War II. Guess what? Oh, you already know. He found much more even handed reporting. Here's a bit but do go read it all (free registration required).

But after several older folks mentioned to me how different the news coverage was back during World War II, I decided to check that for myself. Going into our archives, I looked to see how this newspaper covered that war.

I suspected I would find one of two things -- either unflinching reporting much less rosy than the oldsters remembered, or blatantly soft, upbeat coverage that would never fly today.

But what I found was something else -- both.

Looking back at those old newspapers, I found a combination of unvarnished, often-grim stories and a regular leavening of hopeful, inspiring stories. And I must say, the effect was quite refreshing.

This dovetails quite nicely with a similar discover about science journals made at Lofted Nest. Here's the summary but do go read the findings from this month which are listed.

I wonder, more and more frequently, just what science has become. When my issue of Scientific American comes in the mail, I find myself reading the "50, 100 & 150 Years Ago" section first and enjoying the wonder and optimism of the magazine's past. Articles about underwater photography from 1856, advances in railway engine design in 1906 and the discovery of the antiproton in 1956 show science at its best: captivating, opening frontiers of thought and exploration, drawing our spirit and intellect into the future.

But the current articles, though sometimes interesting, are often the opposite: they no longer captivate, but depress; rather than opening frontiers into the future, they paint a darkened picture of what is to come.

Is this the current mindset of our nation? Are we all so depressed about the future that it is reflected in our media? Or is it a result of the tactics used to sell papers, with more and more shocks and revelations required to gather our interest? Possibly it is a combination of both.

It seems to result in a growing cynicism and lack of optimism that is not healthy at all, whether for an individual or a society. One can easily see why people marvel after going to Third World countries and seeing joy present despite squalor and poverty. It is what Mother Teresa put her finger on when she talked about the spiritual poverty of the West that is worse than the physical poverty of the less fortunate countries.

How does one combat this?

I know of only one answer for that. (Y'all already know this one too, right?) It is to know and love God. It is to trust Him when He says that He has a better way, even if you can't understand what he is getting at when he is remaking you.

It is He who gave me a spirit of optimism and joy when before I fit in all too well with society in my basic reactions to everything. I was mentioning this to the girls last week ... that I used to be automatically pessimistic and cynical about everything. They were quite surprised and Hannah said, "I don't think my friends would believe that." Honestly, it is getting difficult to remember it myself.

However, I think it is a testimony that we can preach through our actions, without words. Living our optimism and joy out where everyone can see it is the best evangelism ever. Not to mention being quite a nice antidote to the poisonous pessimism that is spread by media today.