I had a conversation with a friend yesterday and he said something interesting, completely unprompted.<\/p>\n
He said he had given up satellite radio to save a few bucks and gone back to listening to local radio. That means NCPR, but also other stations based here in the North Country.<\/p>\n
“I just feel better,” he said.<\/p>\n
We talked about it a bit and there were two basic, almost subliminal shifts that he could name.<\/p>\n
First, he felt more connected to his community. None of the textures of our lives or communities exist in the macro-media jumble of cable-TV and radio.<\/p>\n
Also, many of the national and global news providers are, to put it bluntly, borderline pathological.<\/p>\n
The tone and pitch of their “conversation” is hysterical, and not in the ha-ha sense of the word.
The sky is falling. The world is ending. All hell is breaking loose. All the time.<\/p>\n
And because it’s happening on a massive canvas (The Whole Friggin’ World) there’s nothing you can do about it.<\/p>\n
It’s basically news and information filtered through a horror film sensibility. Just sit back and watch the tidal wave approach…<\/p>\n
The truth, of course, is very, very different.<\/p>\n
We happen to live in a pretty great world, measurably more peaceful, healthy and economically equitable than ever before. <\/p>\n
Yes, problems exist, but in my lifetime alone we’ve ended one planet-wrecking threat (the Cold War) and begun in earnest trying to tackle another (climate change).<\/p>\n
In our country individual citizens can accomplish remarkable things — at least on a local and regional scale. <\/p>\n
I see this every day and we tell those stories (as do other local and regional media).<\/p>\n
I think the “local food” and “buy local” ethics have a very real analogue in the media that you consume. <\/p>\n
Go out today and buy a copy of your local newspaper. If you go to the internet for your news, add a local or regional blog as part of your daily diet. <\/p>\n
I’m convinced that you’ll learn more about your world and about your neighbors. It might even lower your blood pressure a few points.<\/p>\n
Comments welcome below…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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