The Drama Queens in life can keep you talking or keep you laughing...but in the end, frankly, I just find they keep you exhausted. It takes a lot of energy to listen, respond and figure out how to avoid the total infiltration of their movie scripts into your being. They've been loud soldiers in the physical world, and now they've permeated the digital one.
Some people are experts at stirring up controversy, implying ill-intentions with every move from "the enemy," and basically verbalizing every dividing thought to enter their minds--thoughts which can do little to improve the silence. (In making that statement I realize how much I could tone the heck down and listen to my own dialogue--inward and outward--to make sure that my own comments actually improve the silence! Point taken.)
I enjoyed a panel discussion on Ethics in the Media on Monday, and I found that one of the exceptional issues raised was about the proliferation of commentary that is cleverly posed as fact. Unfortunately, this sort of "news" mixed with opinion from self-made journalists has been propagated famously by semi-news media (fairly, on the far right and left) and by our buddies, bloggers from all corners.
With most bloggers, the opinionated nature of their posts is obvious, and I love them. I love reading and responding to the diversity of opinions. The line is crossed when the "news" bloggers aren't providing truth. That's why I don't read news blogs. (Okay, for the most part I don't. I'll confess, I love a good liberal news blog.)
I am a fan of this age of self-publishing. It sounds silly to frame it this way, but it puts the power back in the hands of the people. Information isn't something you can control anymore, clearly. In less than one sentence and one click, your thought is out there for the masses. It's not just up to the old man on the evening news.
The danger comes in the Drama Queens that disguise themselves as Hard Reporters. When dialogue disguised as truth is nothing more than your very passionate feelings, sheesh, that's scary. It's fine when you know it's opinion; otherwise, we're consumers of crap. That much was well covered during the panel discussion. Glad it was put out there for the audience to digest with lunch. For the most part, we all have the same concern: what can you trust? Who can you trust?
What are your thoughts on the Drama Queens of the world? And fact vs. opinion?
6 comments:
How's the old saying go... don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see. Nothing's changes, just the noise level.
Have you read The Earth Is Flat?
I haven't but I think it's time for some Friedman!
Oh no, don't you tone your awesome self down. I like the way you think. You THINK, you don't just blare an unreasoned opinion. That earns respect. ;-)
I don't know any drama queens. You mean like O'Reilly or Maddow or Olbermann or Grace? I don't watch any of them. But I do like Breitbart and Malkin. Reasoned opinions, mostly. But how someone like Krauthammer gets on TV, I will never know. U-G-L-Y.
I admit to enjoy current affairs reporting from sites that I like such as the recently resurrected New Matilda and Crikey (Aussie authors). I know in advance that these are digests of 'base matter' as it were, the pre-existing news and issues that the news agencies have deemed worth broadcasting. Also I enjoy the daily 'news' of what is happening in the lives of bloggers, which I find just as interesting as which former Prime Ministers are having shoes thrown at them as severely delayed protests.
I don't tolerate Drama Queens very well either. I'm fine with people who think things through before they open their mouths or type a single word. It's the people who react befroe they think who drive me nuts.
And don't you love the drama emails that are sent out to stir people up, and they assure you they;ve been snoped and are legit...usially is a bunch of drama bull...I seldom even read forwards, automatically hit "delete".
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