Another Time

Another Time

Everyday before September 11, 2011 I was up to beat on current issues. Mostly I would read articles in newspapers, Time or Newsweek Magazine, Life Magazine. In the evenings I would spend my time watching Dateline, 20/20, 60 Minutes, or Nightline. What can I say I loved knowing what was going on in the world, my addiction was CSPAN, CNN, and MSNBC were some of my favorite news television. However the day came when things changed.  Not just for me but for all us.

When the Twin Towers were brought down by terrorists, it was uncensored maybe to much to comprehended. That morning I was at home getting ready for work the television was on in the living to MSNBC and I heard my fiancé gasp and yelled out, “Jenny, Jenny get in here!” Being a mom I thought something was wrong with my little baby girl. So I ran from the bedroom and was annoyed at seeing my fiancé watching television and holding our daughter, who was just sleeping. Annoyed at this sight I did not even catch what going on until it was again pointed out to me. Turning around I caught the vision of the plane going right into second tower and then a reporter and his camera man catching people jumping from the towers, talking about it expletively. This was the last time that I quit staying on top of issues and world events.

What had changed? Was it a new baby or just too busy of a life? After having spent sometime on this over the last few years and giving it consideration for my English blog this week. The only assumption I can draw is the events and how they were being reported. What followed was information over load, united though against one another when our views are not politically correct. The changes within the media and which stories are consider being news worthy. Like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen. Another change since the 9/11 is especially the news stories that are being reported, heinous acts against one another, murder, kidnappings. Current issues seem to be one act being committed and each one that follows is much more disturbing than the last.

So we ask ourselves where do we turn to now, where can we find a place that will address an issue that we are interested in without having to see every third article about another celebrity at Betty Ford or in court that day? The internet, this is one place I can access issues that I am interested in rather than what is now being consider “the current issues.” Its simple to just Google an issue like, the Dow, Libya and such. Since I do not watch much news anymore most of the time I rely on word of mouth then I will use a search engine read a few articles. The internet is handy though you have to play close attention to what is being said and by whom. Many of the sites are liberal groups, watchdogs, or from a religious group. Sometimes articles from these sites tend to misconstrue or mislead people or over play on the fears of society by “making mountains out of mole hills.”

Today I rarely watch the news, it had become something of a circus of anchors being catty there is no point to it and you have stay watching it until they reveal the actual story you have been waiting for two hours later. It’s ridiculous! I do not read as many papers of magazines theses day either, I mostly rely on word of mouth and the internet these days. This way I surpass learning about how far society has fallen.