The Contemporary Public Sphere: Settling for Simplicity

"From organs of public opinion to agents of propaganda" -- a strong accusation of today's news media. The question that thus follows is a blaming game. Are we, as the people, responsible for demanding otherwise or do we have yet no other choice? As consumers, we may have the right to fight the major media conglomerates, but the real question is, "do we have the power?" In my opinion, the true trouble with public discourse or lack thereof, is simple naivety and/or ignorance. If we are not provided with information outside "our Naperville bubble" -- how do we begin to know the challenging questions to ask, unless we make a conscious effort to seek it out otherwise? We operate in a time-driven world where we need news that is quick, to the point, and purely simple. Some of us -- many of us, do not have the time or make the time to ask the really difficult questions that exist in the world. The questions of diminishing resources, war, starvation, and genocide may be the subjects that need the most attention, but lack presence. And yes, this is of concern. As human beings, how do we justify having more interest in a celebrity's latest break-up versus the undeniable existence of global warming. It seems as if we strive for simplicity and focusing our attention on issues that are easier to cope with. People already complain, "there is no good news", but imagine if we were talking about the real issues that face our world. In order for progress to occur, public discourse must exist. Claiming naivety can only worsen the problems with the passing of time. As one can see, I am concerned for the fate of public life until the media starts challenging us to think about the bigger issues or until we start demanding those in the media to talk about the true issues. A vicious cycle will continue until someone stops settling for simplicity. The world will not progress without adding a dimension of complexity and asking others to expand their minds in search of solutions.