A follow-up to this post...US experts leave for NKorea to begin disabling nuclear arsenal. I'll reiterate: Diplomacy works. Bush administration, you should try it. Part of me imagines this is a slap in the face to those who truly 'believed' that whole Axis of Evil theory of George Bush's. Remember, everyone, "these people," those North Koreans, are actually terrorists so they're beyond negotiating with! Oh, wait... That was Iraq. And perhaps Iran. Hm.
All I know is, whoever inherits George Bush's title gets a beautiful steaming hot mess dropped right into their lap. You have to admire anyone delusional enough to stand up and say, "Hey, I think that I can fix this!"
I've had an exciting week, media-wise. Last night, I went to the Colbert Report with some friends. Quite an experience, to witness an un-'Colbert' Stephen Colbert. I even got a hug from him, as he ran around hugging all the women in the front row in celebration of the release of his book, I Am America and So Can You. I guess this doesn't count as a particularly mind-broadening experience but it certainly was fun. Besides, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are pioneers in their field and are certainly an important part of informing the younger masses. I hope that those who watch these shows go out and try to follow the stories the shows cover, but if not, at least they know a little more than they would were they not watching. So, after that horribly-formed sentence that I will come back later to edit, I grant my stamp of approval to Colbert and Stewart.
And onto the second experience... Ethan Bronner, Deputy Foreign Editor of The New York Times, came in today to try to present to us how the New York Times, particularly his branch, goes about reporting the news. What the information process is, who the players are, what is news ... I'll type up some of that at a later time, I think. It was quite interesting. Out of the three speakers we've experienced so far, I must say Bronner has been the most interesting to me, possibly because of his career. Although sometimes I consider a career in politics, I'm more interested in knowledge, in knowing what's happening everywhere and why. That's why being a journalist really appeals to me. Or at least involved in some way with journalism. That's what Bronner imparted upon us. He tried to impress that he truly believes that The New York Times presents a fair and even report to the best of their ability. A "cold blooded thirst for the truth," he said, is what those who work at The Times possess in order to live up to their expectations of fair and impartial reporting.
In response to questions about accusations that The Times does indeed have a specific agenda, he said, "Some people just can't believe that not everything has to be political. We're not political, we're just trying to present what happens." Of course, people will see agendas everywhere based on how they're taught to view the world. It's a fascinating phenomenon ... An either you're with us or against us mentality that often stunts one's ability to accept that, perhaps, their particular side may not always be right. This phenomenon is particularly evident when the issue is polarized by the media and the general public. For instance, "pro-choice" & "pro-life," or "pro-Israel" & "pro-Palestine." When viewing a news piece through a frame of that sort, it's often difficult to discern when something is simply fact and when something is biased against your particular stance.
Ultimately, we've had three different men in to speak with us: The general, the politician, and the editor. The one I want to be when I grow up is the editor. Getting to watch what moves the general and the politician make, and then analyze them and reflect on them based on their other actions, other people's actions, history, the world's politics... Amazing.
That's why the news is so fascinating.
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