My Friend, the News

I have a friend who often exaggerates.  His stories are interesting, funny, and for the most part true.  I don’t doubt that the events in his story actually happened or wether or not he believes what he is saying; I am skeptical about how his experience is being translated for me.  Much like the fisherman with his arms fully extended in opposite directions demonstrating the  the size of the fish that got away; I think stories sometimes get perverted in between the event the memory and the delivery.  I think the fisherman probably came close to catching a big fish but maybe not as big as he says.  No one can recount an incident with absolute objectivity and untainted memory.  

I approach most news sources with the same skepticism that I would a story from a consistently exaggerating friend.  I am happy to read/listen/watch the news but at the same time I feel aware of the fact that it is coming from someone or something’s(corporation) point of view.  I tend to get most of my news from CBC radio and various online news sites.  Depending on the day I may be on the New York Times website, CBC news, The Guardian, or a blog looking for information on current events.  When I am looking at news online I look for items that I consider “newsworthy”.  I think for something to be “newsworthy” it has to be about something that will affect my life (North American politics, Vancouver transit, etc) or  talks about something important in someone or some peoples lives elsewhere. 

Despite looking at or hearing the news  at some point everyday I still feel very much in the dark.  I love watching documentaries and frequently find myself shocked and horrified when I realize how little I actually knew about an event that may have happened in the recent past.  I feel like it’s very difficult to get any news about current events taking place outside the West and when stories are covered they seem sensationalized and offer no context to the events.