Headline Heroes and the Art of Bullshit
On media shortcuts, social theater, and reading past the headline
Many of us fail to fully educate ourselves with media literacy, about the world and our surroundings, often resorting to misinformation, shortcuts and bullshit news. Myself included. I try my best to dive deep into topics that pull me in, finding myself either intrigued or passionately sliding down the shoots and ladders.
As I get older, I understand we won’t all get along. Nor should we. I say that with love and respect because without the yin and yang, there is no “other”, no “you”, no “I”, no “this” or “that” without “other.” Differences are necessary for creation and candid conversations. This isn’t new; it’s as old as time.
However, please read the fucking article if you’re going to spew off about a topic. Seriously, you look like a fool. To most people, you might seem like a well-read aristocrat plowing through society, but to those who actually read the article, you’re a toolbag.
If there’s a big story in the news, it’s either an enormous issue or smoke and mirrors, sleight-of-hand tactics to drown out what’s really happening. And people bite hard.
I walked into work one morning with a massive news story making the rounds. The topic is irrelevant here; let’s just say it’s political, during an election year, weeks before a major election.
I woke, made coffee, and read the news like most people. Walking into the building, I could feel the charged air, sense the hot vibe. Groups and cliques formed between cubicles and corridors before the work bell, buzzing about the morning headline.
“Holy fucking shit, did you hear—”
“No way, really?”
“I heard—”
“Well, I heard—”
They fill in each other’s blanks, not knowing the full details. As long as it fits their narrative, it’s truth. They seem profound to their colleagues. “Wow, he’s well-read,” they might say. “I’ll need to read that article,” one replies. “I’ll forward it to you,” the other says, and he does. That person reads ONLY the headline, gets up in a fury, and starts a fresh round on the topic to anyone that will listen.
My inner social experiment itch nags me to explore. So I walk the circuit, listening to different antagonists, lighting up adjectives based on a single headline. Each group has a different dialogue on the same event, as if they read different articles.
I ponder this, go back to my desk, and dig deeper. The article I thought I understood that morning—I read again, this time with deep care. I open the top five news outlets’ websites and read each take on the event. They’re mostly the same, except for political jabs based on the outlet’s leaning.
I had to do it. I poked my head into a gossip circle and asked, “Did you guys read the article?” Heads nod. “But, did you actually read the article?” The nods fade, eyes drop, confidence dwindles.
I get it; I do. We’re all slaves to what they inform us about. But at the very least, check your sources and do your due diligence before spewing verbal diarrhea, infecting others who, in turn, do the same.
Taking shortcuts is fine, but this particular one will make you look foolish.
Another Ran’s Verbal Diarrhea post
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