King Solomon, Journalism, Bias, Hypocrisy – Part 5

 

What effect does “good news” have on us?

King Solomon wrote this proverb three thousand years ago. Proverbs may have multiple meanings or contexts subject to interpretations.

Shining eyes cheers the mind,

And good news builds up the body. (Proverb 15:30) 

One apparent context meaning of this proverb is when we hear good news, it will brighten our mind, body, and spirit. Good news serves to strengthen us both mentally and physically which shows in the brightness and continence in our eyes. Sad news will produce sad eyes in an opposite context. What we see in a person’s eyes is a clue to his or her state of mind.

In another context it could mean that good news presented in a truthful and objective manner of goodwill can serve to make a body (our nation) healthier. Does that mean that bad news in the context of bias, bigoted, or self-serving will serve to break down the health of our nation?

What is the present state of health of our nation in regards to news journalism? In my opinion, it is not too good.  Whether our unhealthy state is being caused by our differences of opinion, economics, race, religion, sex, baseless untruths, disguised half-truths, gossip, rumor, or whatever. Our nation is in a present state of divisiveness and we need to start with both wisdom and objective good news journalism to help restore our nation’s health.

Where do we start? I personally believe the very best place to focus our attention would be the “good news” contained in the Bible to help restore the health of our morality.  However, reality is that in our nation, religion and morality is a personal choice of freedom.  Everyone has a right to choose according to our Bill of Rights to speak or act as long as they do not break any man made laws. Some laws are based on morality, however, morality is mainly used in the context of justice and purpose to maintain order in our nation.

My next choice would be to focus on our newscasters and journalism to urge them to produce “good news.” Good news journalism in the context of fair and objective, to improve the health of our nation to make wise choices.  Wise in the context that the words they say or report are not socially destructive, crony capitalism, monopolized, elitist, half-truths, or just plain not the truth of the matter. Notice that up to now I never did state the word propaganda. Read what this man said about news seventy years ago in regards to propaganda.

In his Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, Harold Lasswell explained that when elites lack the requisite force to compel obedience, social managers must turn to “a whole new technique of control, largely through propaganda.” He added the conventional justification: we must recognize the “ignorance and stupidity [of]… the masses and not succumb to democratic dogmatisms about men being the best judges of their own interests.” (*)

(Does this last statement sound familiar in recent news statement made by an Obamacare originator?)

Now consider that since that time, the number of corporations that control the news media has shrunk from fifty to six. When we consider how low the percentages of voters turn out in elections, the question one must consider is if we should be thankful for the elite watching over us? Or are you concerned as I am that the elite could have done better for us and todays’ news journalism contains an element of hypocrisy which is socially destructive for our nation?

If you are thankful, then what I will present as a suggestion will probably not be of interest to you. If you are not thankful, read my next post which I believe to be a first step in improving the health of news to cure hypocrisy in journalism going on in our nation by corporate, private, internet, and word of mouth sources of news.

Regards and goodwill blogging.

(*) vigilantcitizen.com Mind Control Theories and Techniques Used by Mass Media.HERE