No news is good news

I am not the first person who FELT(take note I am not saying this is a fact) this way.

Good news here do not mean "positive" news. eg. Economic boom, tax cut. Good news here means news that are not up to standard in terms of quality.

Any news, from the newspaper, TV, radio, should always be taken with a pinch of salt.

In fact, all medias. magazines, documentaries, advertisements, etc etc

People have been too lazy to "find out" what is really happening, most people prefer people to "feed" them with news. Some people even "look" for news that they "want" to believe in.

Good and Bad.

"Ignorance is Bliss" was what a veteran news editor from usa told me as his words of wisedom heading a news paper in the states.

A few years back, I would be surprised to hear these words coming out from a man who should champion the journalism spirit advocated in academics sessions. However, having worked in the media industry(news, advertising) myself, i cannot but empathized with his opinions.

Most of the time, whoever is funding the media, gets the decision of what is to be printed. Anything can be "twisted"(i said can be, i did not say it is the truth), from the first man who land on moon, economic informations, to social psychology.

For a period of time, I thought "news is ugly". During my uni days,I read on books about journalism myself (i am a business major) as I stumbled into it when I was learning photography. The ideal in journalism was spirit lifting when I first got to know it. But now, I understand why it remains as an ideal.

Paying the journalists needs money, printing needs money, film and camera needs money, PERMITS need money. And sad enough, like i mentioned before, most audience are not interested in the truth either. I actually think its perfectly fine. Nowadays, I seldom read the newspaper, watch news programs, listen to radio news.

But if i do, I will try my best to understand why certain news is selected to be printed(no news paper can print what is happening in a day), why is the story angled in such a way, and what the the real objective facts I can "bring home" with me.

You probably, while reading this, are thinking i am sprouting rubbish already. that's fine with me, as long as you think it over what I said.

Yes, think it over, whatever you read, see, listened, from this world of media bombardment. from the smallest news about a fishmonger who can scale a fish in 10 seconds to big news like the Iraq war.

It is going to take a longer time, less convenience and maybe tiring to do so, but it is always better to disbelieve first untill you are convinced by facts.(or good lies)