The media does sometimes exaggerate, but there’s much to be concerned about right now. There’s also a lot you can do to make sure you’re ready for whatever lies ahead.
The Las Cruces Sun-News has been criticized by some this week for publicly raising the question about whether the sudden death of a six-year-old boy might have been related to the swine flu. The newspaper has been accused by some of unnecessarily spreading fear.
But, while most journalists including me look back from time to time and realize they should have done something differently, I don’t think it was unreasonable for the Sun-News to raise the question.
Of course, the boy didn’t have swine flu, or it would have been international news by now. We knew from the get-go that swine flu probably didn’t cause his death, but that doesn’t mean the media should ignore the situation. People see the headlines. They’re thinking about the flu. Some are taking extra precautions.
Then a boy who attends their child’s elementary school dies suddenly. Police tell the newspaper he had a fever before being sent home hours before his death. People are talking. And wondering. Rumors spread.
Addressing that situation isn’t creating media frenzy. It’s the responsibility of the media to help society determine what’s true and what isn’t. And the Sun-News was very careful to quote several officials in its article as saying there was nothing to indicate that swine flu caused the boy’s death but that tests would give a final determination.
Unfortunately, the media does create frenzies all the time, even though I don’t think that was the case in this situation. Many media outlets often exaggerate and overplay stories and find every excuse to mention something that sells even long after the news value has been exhausted.
There are plenty of examples of the media unnecessarily spreading fear without putting it in the proper context. Here’s one story that’s probably a little too alarmist.
Media frenzy is one reason it’s important for people to educate themselves. Learn the facts. The Internet makes it easy to cut through the media filter to the truth, if you’re looking.
That’s not to say there’s no reason to be alarmed. The truth is that there’s a lot out there right now to be concerned about. We don’t really know how bad the swine flu will get. The economy is still in a dangerous slump. We’re still fighting two wars. Terrorism is a real threat. There’s the energy crisis and the health-care crisis and the immigration crisis. Corruption has seeped into the very core of our political system. And our nation’s infrastructure is in serious need of repair.
There’s a lot you can do about it
The good news, however, is that times have been tough before. Sure, we currently face a lot of challenges, but there’s also a lot we can do about it, individually and collectively.
Worried about the swine flu? Get a good night of sleep. Wash your hands after a trip to the restroom. (Shouldn’t you already be doing that?) Eat some berries. They’re full of immune-system building antioxidants.
Worried about the economy? Skip eating out and send some extra money to your credit card, or put it in savings. Find ways to reduce expenses. Grow a vegetable garden. It’ll save you money, and you’ll be healthier (which reduces the threat of swine flu). Start a small business.
Energy? You can do small things like spending less than $75 to insulate your garage door with Styrofoam. If your water heater, freezer or other appliances are located in your garage, that will reduce your energy costs a bit. Thinking on a larger scale? Why not convert your home to solar? We live in the right climate, and government incentives make it more doable than in the past.
Worried about the bigger picture? Think all of this is too much and we might not survive it? Learn how to become less dependent on the system (start with a vegetable garden and solar panels). If you’re so inclined, pray. Get more involved in a community of people, such as a church, who would help each other in bad times.
Store some water and food in your garage and take other preparedness steps recommended by the American Red Cross. If you think things might get crazy enough that you’ll need to defend yourself and your home and want to buy a gun, go for it, but only if you’re also going to learn how to use it responsibly.
Perhaps most importantly, work on changing the system. Vote. Give money to charity. Volunteer with a political group or another important cause. Help your neighbor when you see a need.
The bottom line
The point is that there is a lot to be concerned about. The media is always going to tell us about it, and will sometimes exaggerate it. That’s why we must cut through the filter, educate ourselves on what’s really going on and then do what we can to try to change things and prepare for whatever is coming.
As has always been the case, the world is uncertain. But there’s a lot we can do to make sure we’re ready for whatever lies ahead.