The Public and Media Weigh In

Perhaps it is in the nature of humans to make quick assumptions and judgments. Maybe our early ancestors had to do that to survive. That’s a question I certainly am unqualified to answer, but like others, have asked. There are dozens of media reports every day about subjects such as an air traffic controller who let his kids speak from the control tower, how government bills that have not yet been written will affect us, how new tax systems will solve our problems, and so on. Before anyone has the facts on these issues, many in the media are writing stories suggesting who is at fault, who should be fired, who should apologize, how our lives will be affected, and so forth. The public immediately begins choosing sides, yet no one has any real facts on either side of the debates. Why do we do this?

I am increasingly troubled by these leaps to judgment because rather than learning the truth and making good rational decisions, we may end up with the exact opposite of what we thought we were going to achieve. Even being a professional researcher, I am still inclined to jump to conclusions myself, and am constantly battling with myself to remain objective and to get the facts before forming an opinion. I know that I have expertise in certain subjects, but even then it is limited to some fairly narrow areas. I try my best to confine my advice to others based on what I actually know, not on what might be. The world is full of misinformation, now more than ever because of the internet and cable TV. We are flooded with it daily.

One of the important things we try to teach our children at home and at school is how to think. Hopefully, the most important thing we try to learn in college is to not assume but deductively analyze what we read. I wonder at times if we are failing there too. When examining any issue it is as important to know what we don’t know as it is what we know. Much more often, what we don’t know is far greater. We need to challenge the information we get and not just accept it on face value. I frequently hear pundits taking positions about things that they have absolutely no expertise or experience to even know the right questions to ask. Many of these issues are highly technical and even those within those professional fields don’t have all the information or answers. Those leaps to judgment seem to be especially true in the media and politics.

We are currently faced with many national and state issues that could affect our lives for many years. It is critical that we try to inform the public and not mislead them. Trying to lead the public through emotional pleas from one side or the other may create unintended consequences that will severely damage our way of life. I believe it is critical for all leaders in government, business, and professional organizations to refrain from jumping to conclusions until they have the facts. They should question what they are shown and told. They should ask those who claim expertise for their own credentials to advise. Not all opinions are equal and simply because someone agrees with your position does not make them an expert or qualified to make an assessment. They must know what they don’t know and seek the truth, regardless of where that truth leads. I am not naïve enough to think that those who have personal interests in the outcomes of the decisions will stop spinning their versions. However, those who represent the public’s interest must stop the misrepresentations, the withholding of contradictory information, and jumping to conclusions about things of which they know little or nothing. We, the citizens, should do the same and demand it of our leaders.