Dangerous But Safe #2

As we talked about in DBS #1, we’re going to take something—an event, an organization, a group or an industry—and break it down with the three principles of distance, penetration and ricochet. This time out, we’re looking at something that has become one of the most polarizing topics today—the news. 

The news is supposed to be objective and unbiased. The news is supposed to give us the facts so we can make informed decisions for our lives. It is unclear when it happened exactly but at some point, the line between fact and opinion became blurred and only those who practice critical thinking skills can even attempt to filter out the nonsense to get to the truth. The days of Edward R. Murrow, Walter Conkrite and Tom Brokaw are gone. Information can make you dangerous. Misinformation makes you unsafe, as well. 

Now, let’s break it down. Distance—how far can the news reach? In this day and age, there’s virtually nowhere the news can’t reach. Television, the internet and smartphones, the news is everywhere. Only the most remote places are out of reach and that’s only because there are still people who have no contact with the outside world. Penetration—how long will the impact last? This is something that is not consistent. The breadth and length of impact depends on the event as well as mainstream media’s agenda. For some news items, we can still be hearing about it weeks or even months later. Other things are forgotten the next morning. Typically, the news cycle is very short, but if there is misinformation, chances are the damage is already done. Ricochet—what are the unintended consequences and who are the innocent bystanders? Facts shared in a positive manner can inspire but misinformation can damage reputations and ruin lives. In the medical field, it is said that assumptions kill. In certain circumstances, the same can be said of misinformation. 

Being informed is important, so, how do we combat misinformation? We vet our sources, and we use more than one or two for our news. There’s an old saying that goes, “Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.” It is most often applied to gossip, but it goes for the news, too. Just because someone reports something doesn’t make it fact. And just because they show you video footage doesn’t mean you’re seeing the whole picture. 

Go ahead, watch the news, be informed and be dangerous. But be safe, as well.

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