Some blame the media. Some say the media is a reflection of society and blame society. Some say it's all about the numbers, driving business (eyeballs = advertisers). But one way or the other, the fact remains: you cannot turn on news radio on a Sunday morning drive without exposing your family to "news" about rape, murder or family abuse every 10 minutes or so.
And the print media is just as guilty. Open up a Newsweek, Time, or even (occasionally) a Wired magazine. You will find at least two feature doom and gloom stories about war and genocide, political instability, global warming or a global financial crisis.
Obama spoke about the politics of fear. But there is a greater story playing out here - we are becoming a society fueled by fear.
There are two ways to motivate people to change:
- make them believe in their potential or
- scare them into changing.
It's far easier to scare people, but far more effective when you can make someone believe in themselves.
And so I have to ask, why are we ruining our society by filling our tanks with fear? After 9/11 the news media ran stories of heroism, of inspirational sacrifice. New Yorkers came together from all walks of life to help one another. Is today's world outlook any bleaker than the average NYers on 9/12?
We have a responsibility. I have a responsibility. We must, as a society, reorient ourselves. Instead of focusing on what isn't and the possible consequences of what is, we need to learn to focus on the inspiration to grow to what we can become.
Wouldn't you rather open a newspaper in the morning and be inspired? Wouldn't you rather feel meaning and purpose over depression and fear?
I don't have the answer, but I know that if consumers demanded positivity of brands, then advertisers and sponsors would demand it of the media. So how do you propose we get this ball rolling?
