Are we really an impulsive and emotional nation which tends to act without thought, to jump at conclusions and react to anything we come across without thoroughly studying and evaluating the situation? Is this our reality or is it a reflection of a media mentality that judges things from a pre-determined stand and resorts to blowing things out of proportion in order to appear as if they reflect public opinion while in fact they do not?
These questions pop into my mind every time I read or watch commentators reacting to a local event, no matter how significant they might be or the kind of immediate or long-term ramifications they might cause. Something happens today and less than 24 hours later newspapers appear, full of comments, analyses, interviews and long articles, all debating the subject and all reflecting identical views.
It is indeed amazing to see several publications adopting the same position and arriving at the same conclusion on an issue that should have been viewed in a variety of ways. It is as if all these commentators and analysts have an identical mindset. How else could they all arrive at identical views on issues that should have generated a much richer and wider-ranging discussion?
Going through much of the commentary, one seldom comes across a dissenting opinion. It all has to do with a media mentality designed to lead people along a predetermined path.
The writers in fact appear as if they are tools in a huge machine, programmed to show that everything is fine and that what is written reflects the general consensus. Consider how our media continue to handle the confessions of young jihadists on television.
The information the young men gave, as little and sometimes as contradictory as it seems, is nevertheless very important and should be carefully analyzed before presenting an intelligent opinion of any value to the public.
This does not happen and instead, we continue to see a flood of impulsive, emotional and shallow impressions, the writers of which agree on almost everything, including the wording. If these kinds of comments and analyses continue, truth will never prevail and the public will continue to be led by a media that wants them to believe what it wants them to believe.
