Story Behind the Story

A no brainer, what you see is only the surface of a complex becoming. Much has happened in the past, the near journey steps of what is about to appear, and the context in which the surface moment makes its presence known. Your opinion on any topic is like that.

Each of us comes to a ‘conclusion’ only momentarily. We are always gathering bits and pieces of the topic and sorting out what is unnecessary and what should be included. The moment of unveiling a comment or discussion on the topic relies also on who is present, what their mindsets are, and how relevant the discussion is pertinent to topic.

Ten seconds or ten minutes later the circumstances are different by the universal law of change. Thus, the meaning moments ago may change. Again and again, this happens. What I think at any moment is the product of many stimuli collected over my experience and growing understanding. Same for everyone else in or out of the discussion on the topic.

These three paragraphs explain the complexity of human relations and why we must remain nonjudgmental and open to differing opinions. Some of our companions are way behind us in understanding the topic. Yet others are ahead of us. It is the blending of all theses elements that make the discussion vital and exciting.

So, when I say my conclusion on a topic is thus and so, it is but a momentary stasis of my thinking. With time that understanding changes and along with conclusions.

For these reasons newscasts and press reports need to reflect the timing of the who, what, and where of an event. The why is inferred or left up to the recipients of the report. For most of us we rely on news analysts to accumulate appropriate information on the topic to be able to report why the event was important and why it is of value for the future. Experts are helpful in such times. Rarely do all these things come together in an appropriate timeframe for a newscast or press report.

Thus, most news programming is laughable and misleading. Intentionally or not, the audience must decide for themselves what is important and what is not. News directors include reports on what they think are important for public consumption. Well, that was in the old days; these days news programming is curated to support ratings and readership. Not a good idea for any of us.

The story behind the story is one that is always developing. Like historians, wise journalists will follow a story long enough to know the why of the item. That is what becomes important in time. Best we let this become its own beacon of truth in the right timeframe.

November 30, 2021

 

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