When the gulf war was at the height of conflict, I was in college trying to hold myself together and get through my critical thinking class. My professor was brilliant, and he talked circles around us. He had the same extensive knowledge as the late historian and professor Eugene Weber, but without the ability to recognize that young minds often need current events that correlate with past events. Weber understood the significance of connecting current events with historical ones, especially ones that address complicated topics. But not my professor; he was brilliant and unreachable. And I am still proud I did well in that class, even though it had a curve. However, there’s one thing that sticks in my mind more than what I learned in that class. It was the day my professor stood next to me and watched patriot missiles intercept missiles from the Iraqi military.
That day, my professor and I were on the same plane in the universe. We were worried about our troops. And we had pride in our media. We had respect for what they were trying to accomplish and that they appeared to feel responsible for how they were presenting subjects to us. CNN was the bridge between us and what was happening to our friends and family abroad. Americans were again fighting a war in a world they knew very little about with leaders whose names they could barely pronounce. We awaited updates from Norman Schwarzkopf, also known as Stormin Norman. The U.S. General was bigger than life with a resume of accomplishments that was impressive and even intimidating, and CNN would depend on his updates to soothe the masses. They revered him as a brilliant academic warrior and helped us to feel safe in his decisions.
Though panicked, our hearts felt less anguish, knowing he was there, leading our men and women.
CNN was not the endless theatrical commentary in the claws of a conglomerate that it is today. It was actually news. When things were hectic, I immediately turned to CNN and listened to what they had to say. Finally, I had some trust in them, as did my brilliant professor. Today, I still instinctively type in CNN.com to look at the news. Then I immediately shift to Google news with regret after seeing the headlines on CNN. Google News gives me a choice of papers and topics without trying to feed me a political opinion in the hopes that it will assimilate me as if I were in a Sci-Fi movie like “The Invasion.” Okay, they may lead a little, but I think the algorithms know I’ll require more choices to stay interested.
So, where is Ted Turner? The man who started CNN. Where are you? Maybe you could pass some tips to the current media outlets on making news a little more digestible. And if not you, isn’t there anyone left that’s not bought and sold by a conglomerate? A conglomerate with a Board of Directors that wants to control how the masses think? Just news, that’s all I want. Information that respects that the public might be able to think critically for themselves. I’m sure my Critical Thinking class successfully nurtured my next level of self-awareness. I want the opportunity to use what I’ve learned regarding current events. So CNN and your like, quit trying to steal my mental thunder. And if you forgot how to report, call TED!