Ammon News - By Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh

We live in the so-called information age. Generally, this is good news, for it is important for information about so many things in our world to be disseminated. “Knowing” or “awareness” in and of itself is important, for the opposite is - simply - ignorance.

But information is also linked to action. So many things are happening in our small globe: scientifically, socially, politically, economically, etc. To be on top of what is happening is not only necessary, it is in fact crucial. You need to know what has happened to be able to make the right decision. And this applies at all levels.

Therefore, it would seem that the more means of communication there are, the better. The more means there are, the more opportunities of exposure there are.

However, the matter is not so simple. What we need to know is not whatever gets communicated or disseminated, but the “truth” about matters. One big challenge that we have in the information age we live in is the validity or reliability of what gets said.

We know, of course, that “truth” is relative; and this is why it is good to hear the various versions of an event or a story. This is positive. Furthermore, much of what we hear, read or view has an acceptable level of truthfulness, logic and believability about it.

However, much of what we hear, read or view is distorted, trivial or totally false. And this we find in abundance, in books, on TV, in movies, on the Internet, etc.

What applies to information generally applies to news in particular - on radio, TV, the Internet, etc. - which has always been important. It is even more important now.

Again, much of it is reliable. But much is not.

The problem with news in today’s world in particular is that much of it is sensationalised, dramatised, subjectified and - therefore - falsified. What has become important is not “what” one tells but “how” one tells it.

Look at the major news channels, CNN, Fox, MBC, NBC, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiyya, etc. The stories chosen are the hot, juicy, thrilling and sensational ones - and not necessarily what is relevant or important for you and me. It is as if news and fiction are one and the same: it is also narrative.

Additionally, look at how the story is put together (“constructed”) to suit a certain conclusion – one which ideologically serves a certain ideology or political stance.

Third, look at newscasters. They have become actors with so much personalisation or stake in what they say.

This is not only annoying but damaging. It is, in fact, an example of how information becomes either trivial or a curse - instead of being a blessing.

To be honest with you, aside from Euro News - where newscasters do not appear in the first place, where news is read as neutrally as possible, and where stories are constructed with as little bias or prejudice as possible - I can hardly stand to watch anything else. Even the good, old traditional BBC got contaminated: with acting, sensationalism, and subjectification.

We want news, but we want good old reliable neutral news.

We want information, but we want information which - at least - has the bare minimum level of truth in it.


* Jordan Times