Who owns the truth?
Society is deluged with the truth from every direction. There is simply no shortage of truth, and every one is open and willing to share. However when we pull back the curtain just slightly we realize that it is only their version of the truth. Of course I would never dare to suggest the are lying to us, oh no I will not question their intent. But I will question the basis in which they determine and then allocate that truth.
We fancy ourselves as very smart and very connected, we are modern and sophisticated consumers of information. I personally am a proud and active member of more social network sites than I can count. So much so, I had to join another site to manage them all. I proudly show my intellect letting everyone know that NPR is my news source of choice. Following in that logic I embrace the world of blogs reading the stories of real people in the middle of it all. For research I know of no other option than the infallible wikipedia. I am a modern man and refuse to consume the garbage that the mass media companies attempt to shovel at us.
But that is not the truth... The real truth is I listen to it all and read it all. I jump from one media source to the next to desperately seek any inclination of what might be truth. but in order to know the truth, we would have to have seen truth before. At this point I don’t even know what it is. The same story is told in different ways depending on the slant of the news outlet providing it (blogs, NPR, and “independent news sources†are no exception). We all have our favorites that fit each of us a little better, the one that makes us feel more comfortable with information we are being provided.
This is not some attempt to question the integrity of modern the news business, nor am I trying to suggest that we are being spoon feed by some mass conspiracy. Really either one of those could be true or even possibly something more sinister! There is probably a thousands or more people that know the “truth†and are shouting from the mountain tops. But how do we tell the difference between the whack jobs, and those trying to provide a little insight. They all sound the same, from the supposed whacked out conspiracy theorist to the highly paid anchor-person on the nightly news. I can’t tell the difference.
Some might suggest we seek out those that do not provide an opinion and simply report the facts and let us decide. I say hogwash... Journalist have never left a story to just the facts. The idea is ludicrous, would the truth have ever gotten out about anything if it wasn’t for the passion of reporters and citizens to hunt and search for a story? I think not... The question is when does passion in the hunt for truth stop and crazy conspiracy start? Does our modern news go far enough?
How sad that there is no answer, that we are each left to sift through the flood of information and randomly guess for ourselves. I am all about self awareness and being a knowledgeable consumer of media. But if we all take a second and be honest, we don’t have the time, nor the desire. If we did, we would not need reporters and the news media, we would all be down at city hall to uncover the truth for ourselves. We support them because we have an expectation that they will sift through the crap for us, and bring back the substance of a story. It is there role in our society, they are supposed to be the protectors of truth, to uncover the wicked, and shine light on the secret.
I don't like not having an answer, I don't like not having an opinion on how to make it better. I only know that I am drowning it what they all suggest is the truth and I don't like it. So I ask, who owns the truth, and can I buy a little piece?
- I am batman
