Tabloid Society

December 20, 2011     “Our Tabloid Society”

O.K.  So I suppose I will need to stop watching television, reading the newspaper, accessing news sites on my computers, etc.  Why?  In 1 Timothy 5:13 Paul says that “younger widows” and perhaps retired guys that have too much time on their hands “learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention” (NASB).  Does it strike anybody but me that the selection of stories to include in the above media abound more and more with the “things not proper to mention”?

Perhaps there is a dearth of real news stories.  Maybe there is nothing happening in the rest of the world that may affect us.  Perhaps it is too depressing to focus on the economy for a while, or the lack of real leadership in the political arena, or good news that happens when ordinary people like us take responsibility for feeding the hungry and taking care of the homeless.  Perhaps no teachers or school administrators do anything to make life better for “at-risk” kids.  I suppose it is too much to ask to focus on Christian churches that influence quality of life issues for the many.  It is just easier to look at the dark side of things.

And I must admit that the media do focus on the things that most people want to see and to hear about.  It just makes us feel better about ourselves to know that we are a step above the rapists, murderers, child molesters, and politicians that fill the news programs.  Of course, if we really cared, we could do some-thing about those things.  Write letters, make phone calls, send e-mails, form neighborhood watch groups, get involved in our schools, etc.  It is just far easier to say how the world is going to hell than to try to make any difference.  What can one person do?

It might just surprise us.  One thing we could do is to contact the sponsors of the news programs we watch to let them know we will not be watching them anymore, nor purchasing their products if they continue to support the choices of stories broadcast.  In these days of twitter and e-mail and facebook it is much easier to do than in previous times. 

Perhaps one person can make a difference.