The media wrap around.

 



Subject: The media wrap around


I have mentioned how confusing it is living in an age of media wrap around. When I was growing up there was no television, we received our visual news from Pathe News when we went to the cinema otherwise it was radio which meant for us in this country, the BBCs three channels, The Light Program,  a classical music program called BBC 3 and the Home Service, these radio channels plus a collection of newspapers represented the political views of the parliamentary parties, local issues in the cities and towns plus the countryside and of course sport. It was a simple fare, unobtrusive to our actual simple lives. Foreign news was largely disassociated from us by its time line and the delay in reporting. There was minimal visual reporting, no 24/7 in your face competition by the news agency’s to get you to gawk at the next catastrophe.
Today I turn on the television and am met by the terror on the faces of people rushing through the bombed out streets or in the ruins of a devastated hospital in Gaza in contrast to the stern faced Israelis reiterating their intent to dismember Hamas, its followed by a report on flooding in this country and then the dire condition of our hospital services to cope as we near winter. As a contrast there are programs on the sale of expensive vintage cars, a valuation of crazily priced  antiques and what it’s like to spend a night or two in the most opulent hotels in the world.
How does our mental equilibrium cope with all these contrasting issues, how do we relate to the turmoil whist being encouraged to imagine a pampered life in a wealthy enclave. It reveals the diversity of the world as does the disparity of earnings between the person presenting the show on television who earns 6x the average wage, footballers who’s earnings are stratospheric for kicking a football around whilst many of their fans can’t pay the rent or put food on the table.
Capitalism and consumerism have driven us into silos of extremism we are encouraged to gawk at poverty and praise extreme wealth, the balance we once had of concern for the poor was eroded by Thatcherism and used by subsequent politicians for political gain. Keeping an eye on your neighbours well-being was replaced by one up-man ship and the post code lottery. Turned us into narcissist.
So when you go shopping today give time for a friendly comment, a helping hand extend humour and warmth not the ranker of bitterness, resentment and malice. It’s amazing how a smile and a cheery word can transform a mundane moment into a happy one.