Staying above the Noise in Times of Unrest and Uncertainty
By Faiza Zia Khan
Newport Beach, CA
An undeniable, yet constant companion swirling around us is "breaking news." Even if we want to take a brief hiatus from the ongoing cycle, news has us engulfed in its warm cocoon with no apparent relief in plain sight.
From dusk to dawn we get numerous live updates on daily events around the world. It is a rarity to find a person who does not get news alerts on their phones, or have the browser page set to a news channel.
A renowned editor of the New York Sun; Charles A. Dana summed up the nature of news with this simple statement, "Anything that interests a large part of the community and has never been brought to its attention before.” The reality is the nature of news has changed drastically as we cascaded from the COVID-19 pandemic to protests, and from political unrest to racial injustices around the world.
As we construct our own narratives from news around us, the broader issues remain the same. All of these topics have been in the news media and in public eye for decades, yet still have a newness to it that merits debate and discussion. In the field of journalism, journalists consider news to be a change in the status quo. These days the bigger question is: does a change in the status quo really mean that an event is newsworthy? Perhaps not, but the larger issue at hand almost always is!
Just as a joke provides a moment of levity in an otherwise dreary meeting, everyone is looking for some kind of relief from the constant severity of the situation we are facing. Is it possible that we can avoid news? Is “news-avoidance” even a term? Can there be a “non-use” or “low-use” of news? Experts have argued the harmony of news media and democracy result in an informed citizenry. According to the news media specialists regular use of the news media is regarded as a prerequisite for a healthy economy. Research demonstrates it is a cause for concern if significant numbers of citizens appear to be disconnected from the news, whether as a conscious uncoupling, deliberate choice, or by accident.
Who are non-users or low-users? Why do people tend to avoid the news? Will there ever be a shift in the mindset where negative connotations attached to news will go away? I researched these in depth and came to the assertion that there is no straight answer to this puzzle.
There are many reasons behind this as all the material published around the consumption of news points in different directions. The future of journalism is unknown at this point in time. For the digital-era teenagers and young adults, news happens on their social media. Usually it is captured live on Tik-Tok, Instagram, Facebook, or any other app and transmitted as the action unfolds. In the new-age real time news communication has taken a force of its own. It is uncensored, undisguised, and straight from the source. There is no warning about what might happen next and keeps the viewers on the edge. This is very appealing for the audience who have the appetite for something that is not embellished with the bells and whistles an average newscast would carry. However, for an older demographic this may be jarringly negative or insensitive compared to the traditional format of news. News networks follow a strict set of rules around the content produced for on-air television, websites, and the radio. For example, if a traditional news report contains wounded people or images that might disturb viewers there is a fair share of graphic content warnings in case it may upset those who are watching it.
Modern day news has become a personal blog of experiences, emotions, weight gain/loss, life events, or health issues whereas traditional journalism focused on global politics, climate change, and diplomatic events. Nowadays this kind of journalism seems outdated and obsolete. Fast forward to present day compared to the traditional news relatable feel-good stories about people who are imperfect in more ways than one are the norm. They do not have high powered connections and live normal lives like the average Joe.
Before we give too much adoration to the social media platforms it is necessary to weigh both the pros and cons. We have given away too much control to the audiences. Instagram counts popularity to be in the number of “followers” on an Instagram profile. When an Instagram story is posted it needs to be shared and liked multiple times before it becomes news. “Breaking the internet” and going “viral” are the ideals most celebrities are asked to reach before they are Instagram worthy. Here is when the credibility of legitimate news comes in question. Further, a social media platform Buzzfeed that has in excess of 20.1 million subscribers can no longer control the content that is posted on the website 24/7 from around the globe. By the time fake news is posted, shared, and liked it has become real in the cyber-sphere. Although social media platforms continuously work on best efforts basis to purge sub-standard content and take it down, it is never fast enough.
I found a quote that is appropriate for the way “news” has become “noise” and how to stay above it. Experts state, “News happens fast now. Today’s story will be tomorrow’s forgotten story. It is easy to miss things now because of how quick stories can get turned around and shared. While having so much information at our fingertips is great, it is worth always checking sources and not taking headlines as truth.” With these guidelines in mind it is necessary to keep an open mind and not let negativity take its toll on mental and physical wellness.
(Faiza Zia Khan holds a Master’s in Journalism degree from the University of British Columbia, Canada. She has collaborated with news media outlets including Global National and actively volunteers for several community investment projects for the Red Cross, United Way and the Breast Cancer Foundation)
