We’ve been hearing this phrase being used a lot over the past six weeks. “We’re all in this together.” We see this on the news, advertisements, billboards, and across social media. It sounds good. If only it were true. Yes, there are a lot of good people out there doing their part trying to make a difference and impact society positively. But can we genuinely say that we are all in this together?
First and foremost, let’s examine the mainstream news. If anyone believes CNN, MsNBC, Fox, and the New York Times are in this with us, then they haven’t followed mainstream news closely. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am grateful for a free press. That’s what separates America from, let’s say…The People’s Republic of China. However, mainstream news is not in this with us nor or they for us. They are strictly in it for themselves. They report whatever information they can that will ensure two things: communicating their biases and driving up their ratings.
The COVID-19 death counts that we see scrolling across our television screens are a constant reminder that the news wants its viewers focused on one statistic: how many have died from coronavirus. Why is it that we don’t see more reports about how many have survived? Because that isn’t newsworthy. Hey, I get it. Doom and gloom reports generate more views than happy stories. But let’s stop buying into this Polyanna notion that the news is with us and for us. The major news networks are all about the bucks, and they do not take prisoners. And they don’t worry at all about getting their facts straight either. Bill Maher, who openly admits that he has great disdain for President Trump, called out the news for its coverage recently.
“News sources have to rein it in,” he said in one of his recent show’s closing monologue. “Everyone knows that coronavirus is no walk in the park … ’cause you literally can’t walk in the park. But at some point the daily drumbeat of depression and terror veers into panic porn.” Bill Maher
Let’s examine another aspect of how news gets circulated: social media. Dr. David L. Katz, a globally recognized authority on public health, has been working 15 hour days for the past few months to get his message out. His campaign of #totalharmminimization is getting traction across political lines, and what caught my attention is that he is leading the way in civil discourse. This pandemic demands both cooperation and responsible reporting, but we aren’t getting it. Instead, the gift to America is a constant barrage of people disparaging our political leaders and medical experts via social media. Granted, having adults in charge would help quite a bit. Between Speaker Pelosi ripping up speeches and the President drifting off into a stream of conscientiousness dialogue about UV rays and disinfectant, I am not sure who to elect as petulent child of the year. We also see this behavior being played out on social media. Appears, mainstream America is following the lead of our fearless leaders on both sides of the political spectrum. I recently shared several pieces of information from Dr. Katz who is highly regarded across the global medical community. How disappointing it was that only a handful of people on my social media network even took the time to review this information and offer comments.
“Most people are not interested in being educated. They simply want to be deceived.”
What has been more illuminating is the fact that the same people who won’t take the time to review information from highly regarded medical experts are the same people who will post inaccurate information from the mainstream news. This reality validates what I already knew. This pandemic has revealed a fundamental problem with many Americans. Most people are not interested in being educated. They would prefer being deceived. The pandemic of media illiteracy is a real thing. That’s why the mainstream cable news networks like CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, MSN, NBC News, ABC, CBS, and partisan websites are extremely popular. The vast majority of people are not interested in having their beliefs challenged; they simply want them reaffirmed. Most people seem content to lapse into GroupThink.
Facebook Tug O War
We all have those Facebook “friends” who love sharing articles that reaffirm their positions. I’m guilty of this myself. The sad truth is that most people don’t even bother reading the articles that they share. Oh, they might read the headlines and a few sentences, but they are not critically examining the information for accuracy and biases. I never share any piece of information that I haven’t read or watched thoroughly. The sharing of articles and videos on Facebook is generally done with a two-fold purpose in mind: singing to the choir and picking a virtual fight.
At it relates to COVID-19, the tug o war is pretty clear between those who want to keep America under house arrest and those who believe it’s time to get back to work. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground in the world of Facebook. But in the real world of science and medicine, there does seem to be a desire to find some middle ground if only the masses would stop being brainwashed by what they read on social media and instead start considering the source. Doing so would require individuals to put aside their ideological views, which most are not willing to do. So the crevasse of partisanship and intellectual ignorance will continue to dominate the narrative.
We’re all in this together is a beautiful slogan, but nothing could be further from the truth right now. It seems as if America is more divided than ever. I, personally, am weary of the politicization of this tragedy and the commentary from both the mainstream news and the armchair experts we see all over social media. The news stories and Facebook posts of people who gleefully point out the errors of their ideological counterparts is the real pandemic. Politicians, doctors, and ordinary citizens are branded as half-wits. The recent protests that we have seen all over America have sparked some of the vilest comments I have ever seen. Here’s a sampling of the words.
“I hope there is a ventilator for you.”
“I pray someone they know dies of coronavirus.”
“Look at those idiots. Maybe they will catch coronavirus and die, and the world will have fewer idiots.”
A friend of mine recently saw this posted in one of his Facebook news feeds. “That entire group should be denied medical care, kept in a room, and tagged like bears.” This hate-filled comment was posted because a small group of people had attended a religious ceremony together. Sadly, these kinds of words are not the exception; they have become the norm. How did our society get here? In a country as incredibly diverse as ours, shouldn’t I be free to be me, and you to be you? If we were all in this together, the answer to my question would be yes. But that’s not the case. Not only is fair journalism dead, but so is civil discourse.
I will have more to say about this topic later this week. I welcome feedback, but please be respectful. Remember, insults and name-calling are tools of the intellectually weak. If we are all in this together, then let’s find common ground and believe the best about people when possible.
To your health and wellness.
Bill Garner
Founder Abundant Path Consulting
#wereallinthistogether
#weareallinthistogether
#totalharmminimization
