I used to enjoy
watching the evening news, long before there were such things as cable
television, social media, and “fake news.” I got hooked when I was a teenager, watching
grainy images of Walter Cronkite with my father in the 1960’s. Later I remember
watching PBS’s The MacNeil/Lehrer Report,
and coming away with the confidence that I knew what was going on in the world.
Now I come away from the evening news feeling like I have
been emotionally assaulted. Senseless shootings, vindictive partisan politics
and mindless triviality dominate the news. Whatever is most offensive, sensational
or controversial is put to the head of the show, while important stories are
ignored. In recent years destructive weather is showcased first because of the
dramatic images of floods, tornados, hurricanes and fires.
The antics of entertainment and sports celebrities are paraded
as if they were news. They aren’t! And do networks have to repeat the same
stories night after night? Can’t they come up with anything new to report?
After all, it is called “news.” I am not saying that all journalism is bad. But
too much of television journalism is the equivalent of junk food. Too much will
make you sick.
Recently we bought a sofa, which we eventually had to return
to the store. The off-gasses from materials in the furniture were damaging my
health. It took a while for my physician and I to discern what was causing my
physical symptoms, but as soon as I removed the furniture from the living room my
health improved dramatically. My sofa was poisoning me.
I feel like the same sort of thing is happening with the
evening news. It is poisoning the psyches of Americans and causing all sorts of
harmful symptoms in our society. Not the least of which is fear, anxiety, xenophobia,
and political polarization. Our psyches are not designed for constant
bombardments of threats. These in turn prompt the desire to find security in personal
arsenals of weapons and political extremism.
The worst thing about TV news is its corrosive effect on the
human spirit. It is bringing out the worst in the human soul and American
religion, as exemplified in the recent degradation of American Evangelicalism,
which used to be my spiritual home. Spiritually speaking our nation is dying,
as any study of the state of American religion will show.
There is a need for a spiritual solution. Paul wrote, “Finally,
brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things and the God of peace will
be with you.” (Philippians 4:8) Breathing such divine fresh air can counteract
the toxic effect of much of American popular culture.
I am not advocating Pollyannaish optimism or hiding our
heads in the sand like those who have been dubbed “snowflakes,” people too
sensitive to hear anything that disagrees with their worldview. Nor am I calling for an Amish-style
withdrawal from the world so as not to be contaminated by it. Sin happens.
There is no doubt about it, and we cannot hide from it or ignore it. There is
great wrongdoing, suffering and injustice in the world.
I am trying to find a counterbalance to the new yellow
journalism that is so pervasive these days. I am looking for an antidote to the
poison, something more than the inspirational anecdote attached to the end of each
evening news broadcast. I am looking for hope.
I was talking to a friend recently. In five minutes we
counted five serious crises, any one of which could cripple our country – climate
change, the national debt, healthcare costs, the student loan crisis, and gun
violence. We could have doubled that number of crises if we had another five
minutes. The world we are leaving our grandkids looks bleak.
That’s the way it is, as Cronkite used to say. We do not
seem to have the national will, unity or courage to address these impending
crises. Or maybe that is just the poison talking. Maybe it is not as bad as I
think. Maybe I have been watching too much television news. Maybe this next
election will change things. There is always a next election.
In any case I am lessening my intake of television news and
relying more on a diet of print media from reputable sources that look beyond
the headlines. I will supplement it with a generous dose of spiritual optimism
to put it all in perspective. For as the Scripture says, “All things work
together for good to those who love God, who are called according to God’s
purpose.”
