No News Is Good News?

On the homepage (or front page, for the ‘real paper’ people) of any major news service, what do you see? War, scandal, homicide…the particulars change daily, but the genre of events we are presented rarely does.
Recently it was asked of me, “Why do you read the news? Why should we need to know this stuff?” This entry is my attempt to answer that from a couple different, but related angles.
1. We live in an individualistic democracy, and that means that what you think does, in fact, matter.
While your ancestors can have an impact on your status (i.e. Bush’s, Kennedy’s, etc.), the cliché is true that the lowly born can rise through social ranks by their own labor, (i.e. Obama). What does that have to do with news?
Well, first of all, knowing what is going on in the country and world gives you credibility. Credibility leads to trust, and trust leads to new responsibilities and prestige. Secondly, even if that social climb never happen to you, as a citizen of a democracy, it is important to understand current events in order that you can make wise decisions at the voting booth. Hate the war in Iraq? Well, that probably affected what Presidential candidate you chose. Believe that the local murder rate is becoming a problem? You can now take it to board meetings, the streets, and once again, the voting booth.
2. People need something to talk about, and what they talk about needs them, in a way.
If they weren’t talking about Gaza, they’d be talking about the economy, or the weather, or those ‘darn politicians and their slimy deeds.’ Without even realizing it, people constantly synthesize events much larger than themselves into their daily lives, and benefit by doing so. Perhaps people will learn some fiscal responsibility from Fred and Fan. Perhaps those who rue the conflict in Gaza will attempt to be more tolerant of others. At the very least, it can be used as a tool to spark dialogue with others so that we might come to know them more through seeing their thought process and worldview.
We are past the age where isolationism can occur, much less work. Even North Korea, probably the most isolated country on the planet, has to trade with China. In America, we are directly affected by international events, and vice-versa. In my own town, protesters hit the streets today about Gaza, forcing us all to consider their voice and the immediate and eternal implications of yet another persecution of God’s chosen people.
Events are not autonomous: one could say that we ought to read the news for the same reason we study any given era of history. Humanity–its tendencies, passions, strengths, and weaknesses–don’t change, the specifics of its engagements do. However, with the news, the beauty lies in the change, however remote, that the history is occurring now and we can affect it. Events rely upon people to shape their future and the likelihood of their recurrence. As Christians, we believe this is not only done through our public actions/words, but also through prayer. As we read what’s going on in our communities and the world, we can keep those in need at the forefront of our prayers–a powerful force that can directly impact the lives of others.
No news might be good news, but if there is news, know news.