One of the paradoxes of a free and democratic
society is that it only takes a few committed and fanatical people to
screw up the system for every one. Political entrepreneurs can appeal to
people’s fears and concerns, get power by gathering together a group
with common worries and beliefs, and then isolate ‘their’ followers from
the larger population. The media can entrench this kind of political or
social fragmentation. When people become addicted to their ‘own’
particular media channels—ones that support the messages of ‘their’
leaders or ‘their’ side—we end up with no one listening to anyone else’s
point of view. While this can and does exist everywhere to some degree, it is
particularly evident
By Jim Selman | BioAnyone familiar with 12 Step programs knows that the literature generally characterizes the ‘ism’ or addiction as a disease of ‘self-centeredness’. This is basically a way of saying that the behavior (that is, the alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, etc.) are symptoms—not causes. The nature of the problem is that people become trapped in a ‘self-referential’ relationship with the world, live in various states of denial, and pursue increasingly self-destructive behaviors until they ‘hit bottom’. At that moment, they can begin the process of recovery—assuming they will take the first step—to acknowledge that they are out of control and powerless and that their life is ‘unmanageable’.[Read More]
By Jim Selman | BioOver the past few years, I have written about
how life in our society is increasingly becoming a 'spectator sport'. I
am again reminded of this as I listen to week after week of pundits
second-guessing President Obama and other leaders as if their points of
view are a) true, b) somehow contributing to a civil public discourse,
and c) honest and not contrived to produce controversy or provoke
conflict and drama.[Read More]
By Jim Selman | BioThere is a maxim in critiques of the media
that the content of programming reflects what the audience wants. I
find this hard to believe. Surely, even the most ardent Michael Jackson
fan must tire of ‘experts’ dissecting the autopsy, second guessing why
he died and manufacturing hypothetical scenarios of what his will might
or might not say. John Daley had a hilarious segment of would-be
experts and reporters in a frenzy seeking some ‘degree-of-separation’
with the famous man: “I met someone who knew someone who met him once
at an airport….” Daly followed this with a spoof of a reporter walking
through an empty house pointing to where (supposedly), Jackson’s
furniture used to be.[Read More]
By Jim Selman | BioI am not an economist and I don’t know what
to think about all the ‘unprecedented’ claims coming from the joint
communiqué of the G-20 summit. I hope it works. But, hey, a trillion
isn’t what it used to be! As a guy who has been around enough to be a
little bit wary of political claims of bright horizons, I wonder if the
world’s leaders are really united to correct past excesses and grease
the financial system enough to restore confidence in the future. After all, isn’t that what this is really about?[Read More]
I am having a hard time finding anything good to say about the news
media in North America these days. I hate to think this, but perhaps I
am becoming a curmudgeon. For example, I was impressed by the rapid
coverage of the tragedy in Minneapolis with the bridge collapse. Within
minutes of the occurrence, CNN, NBC, FOX and CBC were ‘on it’. We had
heard about all there was to hear within a few hours, and then we
witnessed some pretty good coverage of the rescue efforts. But
going into day six, we were still getting darn near round-the-clock
replays of the scene, along with endlessly repetitive and inane fillers
of reporters interviewing reporters and speculating on what may or may
not be the cause of the collapse.[Read More]
There is value in distinguishing ‘politically correct’ ways to speak
about people who might otherwise be ignored in our collective ‘blind
spot’. Such speaking can highlight inequity and discrimination and
raise our awareness of those areas where our actions and our values
don’t line up—where we aren’t walking our talk! [Read More]
Once again we’re subjected to endless all-channel coverage of events
that, while notable, do not justify round-the-clock, mostly prurient
commentary. The tragedy at Virginia Tech has spawned copycats at
Johnson Space Center and other schools around the country. Most are
simply threats, but it just takes one ‘for real’ to fuel the media
frenzy.
As we know, the news channels keep a stable of ‘experts’ on hand to
give their views on every imaginable subject. Retired Generals give
armchair analyses of the battlefield, ex-lawyers give us a play-by-play
of Anna Nicole’s posthumous legal woes, and now ex-FBI profilers and
police officers explain the mental workings of a madman. In the absence
of ‘experts’, the news folks talk to each other in authoritative terms
about ‘the way it is’. [Read More]
Today they announced that the OJ confession book won’t be published
and he won’t get the limelight on Fox Television. This is a great
example of the kind of change that can come about when enough people
‘take on’ the system or the culture and take a stand. It is to Rupert
Murdoch’s credit that he was listening.[Read More]
By Jim Selman | Bio
By Jim Selman | 
By Jim Selman | 
RSS Feeds
