19 April 2013

a restrained opinion thing.



This week.  On a purely personal level, it's been good.  But on a national level... good grief.

Earlier in the week I was all ready to post something, but I felt like just because of the timing of the events in Boston just made my daily thoughts and rambles seem stupid.  So I decided to wait until the next day.  And then something else happened.  So I waited another day.  And another bad thing happened.  And now we're at the craziness of today, and I think it's best to just put off the silly until next week at least.

But a really brief soapbox moment (of course, right?):

I have been thinking a lot about journalism and accurate reporting this week.  The latter is something that is important to me, and the importance of which drove a lot of my desire to be a journalist once. (and still a little even now?)

There have been incorrect reports made from highly accredited news sources, and there have been some theories made by certain talk radio personalities.  I personally don't care where you choose to get your information (though I would prefer some tact in the public sharing of it and your opinion), but I guess I would suggest that you check multiple credited sources for your information.  Just in case there are inconsistencies.

I heard a comment made on NPR this morning that I really liked, and I'll remember it for the rest of my life:  At this point we are collecting dots, not connecting dots.  Making assumptions is certainly a part of human nature, and it's a way for our brains to desperately try to understand and process situations that don't make sense to us.  But it's also dangerous and potentially unfair.  Though it's entirely contrary to how we function and desire things nowadays, there are just some things we can't possibly know right away.  Maybe it's just best to accept that and take the facts as they come.  I don't believe that the 'get it first' mentality can truly trump the 'get it right' mentality in importance, and if you want to really be The Most Trusted Name in News, I think you've got to abide by that.  You'll definitely make less mistakes that way.

Aaand, I'll cut it there.
(When things have calmed down I will accept applause for the restraint I just showed.  I could have gone on foreverrrrr. ;)


Here's to hopes for a (comparatively) peaceful weekend (and future)!

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