Who's Working On The Vaccine?
I’m a big fan of research. I love having a tool beyond just my gut or best guess to help identify needs and craft creative solutions. Data is good. It’s a flashlight in hand when navigating a dark and scary tunnel of unknowns. That said, I’m also very cognizant of its limitations and subjective interpretations that require a grain of salt, if not a whole pillar, when reading from the Gospels of Magid, Gallup, and Pew. Often times, results are corrupted and manipulated by environment; how the questions were asked or whether or not the respondent was hung over and angry or newly in love and giddy about rainbows and such. We also, because we’re annoyingly human, see results through the prism of our own bias which, in and of itself, is corrupting. Every so often, however, I run across a collection of data that just seems to cut through and resonate. It sets off a kind of knowing rush in my head that what I’m reading is significant, true, and holds a much deeper meaning than just a collection of numbers on a page. That’s how I felt earlier this week when a Reuters Institute report titled“Epidemic of News Avoidance popped up on my screen.” At first glance, the survey of more than 93,000 readers/users of digital news offered up few interesting stats:
Some additional context: Those three points are intrinsically entwined. The latter two are major contributors to the reality of the first. The percentage of those exercising selective avoidance of the news was just 29% in 2017, so it’s moving up at a pretty rapid pace. And, on the issue of trusting the news, for the second year in-a-row the United States finished dead last among countries of the world with just 26% of those asked saying they actually trust in the news they consume.
Hitting Close to Home…
Normally, this is where I’d break out the Morton’s and start sprinkling. I’d chalk up results like those, at least a little bit, to the predictability of people being depressed by death and destruction and wishing they had more “good news” in their diet - which, as we all know, is not really true. We may click on a thousand TikTok dance videos or Instagram puppy shenanigans but it’s never gonna rate as the late news lead. I could also rationalize the lack of trust as being a direct result of the turbulent political climate we’ve been in for, well, what feels like a very long time now. But here’s the deal, the truth is…I completely relate to the data. Increasingly, I find it necessary to avoid the news. More often than not, I scroll quickly past the “bad news” on my Twitter feed. Ignore the cable news displayed on the screen in my office and actively steer conversations away from the day’s headlines. I’ll confess that sometimes when talk turns to current events I just zone out and replay the last Super Bowl in my head. Actually, not the whole game, that would be ridiculous, just the Rams’ final drive that produced the winning touchdown and the subsequent stop of the Bengals by the Rams’ defense that sealed the win. It makes me happy. The news…not so much.
There’s another number in the Reuters report that didn’t get a lot of attention but I find interesting and quite fitting with those already mentioned. Sixteen-percent of those surveyed said part of the reason they were avoiding news these days was because they “didn’t know what to do with the information.” This is actually a really important consideration, especially to millennials and Gen Zers who tend to view news and information as a catalyst for action or solution, not just something to be aware of.
Causation…aka the Smoking Gun(s)
The Reuters findings should all sound at least vaguely familiar. Here’s a hint: We actually talk about the root problem or causation, if you will, a lot in this space. Ok, I talk about it a lot but you’re kind and polite enough to indulge and don’t think for a minute I don’t appreciate that. Boil all these numbers down and the translation is pretty simple.
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Avoidance = Lack of Context & Perspective
Without a doubt, at least in my case, avoidance is caused, in large part, by the perception that everything we’re seeing these days has never happened before, that the sky is falling for the very first time. It leads to the real fear and anxiety of having no clue how it’ll all turn out or if it’s even survivable. A little bit of context and perspective goes a long way in mitigating this particular phenomenon.
As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, recently learning about the 1933 plot to stage a coup?against President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which included some members of the U.S. military, actually made me more hopeful that our country can rebound from the surreal and traumatizing insurrection of January 6th, 2020. While still finding it painful to contemplate, I now at least know our country went through a similar time and lived to tell the tale. Likewise, following the horrific shooting in a Buffalo supermarket a few weeks ago, a sought out podcast on the origins of the modern white supremacy movement in this country answered questions and greatly broadened my context regarding the scope of the problem. I was no less sickened after listening but much better informed and positioned to, hopefully, recognize it and fight against it. Context. Perspective. When provided it’s like going from a closeup to wide angle view for our minds. Usually, the more we see and know the less we panic, stress…and avoid.
Not Trustworthy = Lack of Transparency
The times demand total transparency - I want to know the process by which you arrived at your reporting conclusions. You (the media) earn my trust by pulling back the curtain, completely. I need to hear from true experts not skeezy pundits and TV star wannabes that only add to the lack of perceived credibility. And, I (your user) want the opportunity to have a say; to share my perspective and insight regarding a particular issue or event. (See “It’s Time to Meet the Neighbors” from the June 3rd newsletter)
No Actionable Information = Lack of Solution Based Reporting
And last, but not least, along with the community problem of the day give me insight into possible solutions, or better yet, tell me how I can get involved with finding one. Solutions journalism. Look it up here.
The Bottom Line…
The Reuters study is worth paying attention to for a couple of reasons, one way more significant than the other. First, it really does seem to be a pretty accurate view of the current state of the industry and, as such, a road map to opportunity for those so inclined. A sort of negative image when turned inside out reveals what a successful journalistic endeavor might look like. More importantly though, it’s a broader barometer and blaring alarm calling attention to the state of our country and world. While the report doesn’t make that connection, the data and its implications are obvious. What ails us generally and what ails us as an industry are indisputably intertwined. Check your gut. Stow the salt. I think you’ll see what I mean.