Swine flu, Economic Upswing and Other Nonsense of the Day

I really try to keep up to date on current events. I really do. But, sometimes, I get the feeling that what we hear has been so sensationalized that it only barely resembles the truth.

Take for instance the whole business about the swine flu. Ok, so, there is a strain of flu virus that has mutated and it is like "no other" we have witnessed before. Cuba has closed it's borders to travelers, Mexico has closed all public schools and restaurants and I just read a report on how this pandemic could cause a total collapse in the world economy. But let's back up a minute. For healthy adults, this new virus will cause the exact same symptoms as the regular flu virus. Of the plus 50 cases noted in the US, all have survived without any lingering effects. The only death on record in the US was a little boy that had crossed the border from Mexico and was living in TX. Maybe I'm being short-sited, or maybe the media has just found one more event to exaggerate and cause panic.

Then there is the economy. Just two months ago we were reading reports that this is the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression. There was no hope in sight and we needed to bunker down and prepare for things to only get worse. Granted, foreclosures in our area are incredibly high and Matthew had just stopped openning his Charles Swabb account information when it arrived in the mail. But, then I read an article that Obama was being encouraged to send more positive reports to the American people to avoid overwhelming them with bad news. Within a week, I started seeing these reports that the housing market was showing an improvement, retail sales had demonstrated an increase in household spending and the number of jobless was decreasing. So, were things not really as bad as they were being reported or are we only receiving half of the story?

Finally, there is the coverage on the recent TEA parties. I'm all for these protests and am so excited to see a diverse group of people coming together to show the government how disappointed they are with the bailouts and excessive spending. But, then I hear a report on MSNBC that these are protests held by extreme rightist groups. No, that is false. That is an actual lie being broadcast to the mainstream public. CNN chose not to even cover the demonstration of thousands of Americans in cities across the nation. Is it because they choose to ignore any event that doesn't support their cause?

I studied journalism. I was taught to be educated about the issues, but remain unbiased. I was taught about the "4th Branch of Government" and the responsibility the media had to the country. I'm saddened to think that somewhere along the way this ideal has been lost.

I'm stepping down from my soap box now...hope someone is there with a step stool and a diet pepsi.