If it Bleeds, It Leads
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net/
Straight to the Cross
Mike Brooks, Tim Hall, Glover Shipp -- names you know,
writing you trust. forthrightpress.com/
COLUMN: HEAVENLY CONNECTIONS
If it Bleeds, It Leads
by Tim Hall
Those who study television journalism have long
observed the principle that says, "If it bleeds, it
leads." The first story on a newscast may determine
whether viewers stay tuned or whether they surf on to
the next channel. How can they be enticed to lay down
their remotes? By reporting the most sensational news
stories available. That often translates into crime,
political scandal or bad news about the economy.
Could it be that news stories are sometimes enhanced
to make them even more sensational? It happens all the
time. Witness the current glut of stories that report
"expert views" of rising fuel prices. We've now
reached the $4 per gallon plateau that used to lead
the evening newscast. Newscasts now quote "experts"
who predict prices will rise much higher. Viewers who
feed on such negative outlooks are left with feelings
of helplessness, pessimism and despair.
Must we feed on such "news"? Is this the best choice a
Christian can make?
Our purpose is not to urge heads to be stuck in the
sand. But sometimes we stick our heads where reality
is manipulated to increase audience size. A steady
diet of ratings-driven news can forge a view of our
world that is not accurate. It can also eclipse the
view of God that we must keep ever before us.
The night on which Jesus walked on the Sea of Galilee
was dark and stormy. The disciples had been rowing to
no avail for hours. The fact that Jesus could master
natural laws should have encouraged them. Peter was
given the same power to temporarily suspend the laws
of physics as he also walked on the water. But the
thrill was short-lived.
What happened to Peter that led him from the heady
feeling of a rare feat to fearfully thrashing in the
sea? Matthew tells us: "But when he saw that the wind
was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink
he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!'" (Matthew
14:30, NKJV) When he shifted his focus from the power
of Christ to the inferior powers of the world, Peter
lost his footing.
On every hand there are storms in this world.
Devastation from hurricanes and earthquakes; riots
over food prices; terrorism; rising fuel prices and a
shrinking economy. Those who spend hours before the
television (or Internet or newspapers) naturally
become fearful. But there is an alternative: "These
things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have
peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be
of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John
16:33).
The garbage of negative thinking can be significantly
reduced by restricting the inflow of negative
reporting.
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