Rethinking the news
Tim Durkin

After reading the collected letters of Hunter S. Thompson, in which he rants about the faults of American journalism in the 1960's, I began to think more seriously about the way newsworthy events are presented. In my opinion, news media overemphasizes lifeís negative factors.

Following the news today, itís hard to believe it is possible to find peace of mind. With some exceptions, such as CTVís ìGoldhawk Fights Back,î there is little or no coverage of events which are celebratory in any fashion. News gathering agencies tend to focus on the doom and gloom of an event rather than paying heed to the enlightening ramifications.

I am by no means suggesting we ignore all the facts or gloss over unpleasant realities. I am simply suggesting we shift our focus to the effects of the event and how people are successfully handling it. One example we could examine is the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa at the hands of the Nigerian government. News agencies jumped at the chance to report on this tragedy and how the government was a hate monger. I would prefer to see a story on how Nigerians and Amnesty International dealt with the blow. Writers from around the world were enraged and yet we heard very little about it.

The presentation of negative events over positive ones and healing reactions tend to fixate us on the negative aspects of our world. The significant problem inherent in this is, despite the fact that the acts of individuals or governments are not representative of a whole population, they are presented as such.

An example of positive journalism is one that hits closer to home for many of us, ie. the ice storm of ë98, which ravaged much of Eastern Ontario and Quebec. News agencies reported on the devastation of the storm and rightfully so. More significantly, they also discussed with pride, the generosity of Canadians at this time of crisis.

Stories were rampant about how car washes were turned into public showers, how thousands of Hydro employees, many retired or from out of province, some from the US, charged in to lend a hand.

The news of this event was bittersweet. We could see the look of shock and dismay in peopleís eyes. We could see how the storm would forever leave its mark. But the storm's path left a mark of friendship as well as devastation.

Stories about how people have successfully dealt with adversity are uplifting and mirror a truer image of the human spirit. We would be remiss to ignore a tragedy, but it is even worse to overlook how people have reacted and survived, now living peaceful lives.

News agencies should remember this in the troubled months that lie ahead for Angola as UN peacekeepers pull out of there in a failed effort. Many are sure to die but more are sure to resist and survive.