Last week this column discussed the importance of having support in one’s life.   We spoke about the need to have people around who would serve to uplift and motivate you rather than pull you into a pit of negativities. But, have you ever wondered how difficult it is to achieve this when the airwaves continuously bombard us with so much negativity?

It would be fair to say that the students, faculty and staff of Virginia Tech are still in mourning over the deaths of 32 individuals who were either students or professors.   The American media have reported this as the worst massacre in the history of that country.   The young man responsible for murdering over thirty human beings has been called “demented” and “unstable.”

The families left to mourn will probably never be able to wrap their minds around this most horrific incident.   This particular story will no doubt headline the news reports for several more weeks or until something equally bad or worse happens.

It is interesting to note that it took Don Imus insulting the young women of the Rutgers University basketball team and Cho Seung-Hui murdering 32 people, before the media attention switched from The Bahamas and the saga of Anna Nicole Smith; extreme, most definitely.   However, I think the worse part is that for some reason the media believes that they are giving us what we want when they fill the airwaves and newsprint with these negative and sometimes vile stories.

The media defends what it feeds the public by citing that it is upholding its responsibility to inform the society.   The captain of Rutgers women’s basketball team made an excellent observation when she stated how the team did not receive any media attention for their accomplishments on the basketball court.   Rather, they were barraged with phone calls and emails from the media after Mr. Imus spewed those nasty comments about them over the airwaves.

            Many of us seem to have the terrible problem of focusing on the negative and only recognizing the deeper levels to one’s existence when tragedy or negativity strikes.   Can we blame the media for this?   Can we and should we hold the networks and publishers of local dailies accountable for what emanates from them to us?

            Don Imus was fired from the airwaves after he was initially suspended for two weeks.   Was he fired because of his conduct or was it because of the millions of advertising dollars the networks were going to lose if he remained on the air?   I tend to believe that it was all about the money.

            Journalists are trained to report the facts.   It is their job to bring information to the public, but it is up to the masses to form their opinions on what is presented as “fact.”   In this country, the word bias surfaces quite often when one refers to particular publications or broadcasting networks.

            In fact, the editor of this local daily was recently accused of being biased concerning the coverage of the political rallies.   While he vehemently denied being biased, one cannot dismiss the fact that journalists are human and subjectivity can creep in from time to time.

            While I am by no means suggesting that the editor of this or any other publication is guilty of being biased, it cannot be overlooked that the public will express their opinions and perceptions will be formed based on what is read or viewed.   Therefore, an individual could very well form an opinion based on how a photograph is juxtaposed on the page or an adjective is used to describe someone.

            We know that words and pictures do not always tell the whole story, so the media does have an awesome responsibility to ensure that the words that come from their lips and the images that are transmitted from their lenses cannot be misconstrued as biased, malicious or untrue.

            This week I challenge you to pay very close attention to what you allow yourself to receive from the media.   If it means turning the television off for a week, not reading the newspaper for several days or disconnecting from the world wide web for a few hours, do it.   Unplugging yourself from negativity, biasness and untruths for a while will allow you to think more clearly and see the truth for yourself and not as someone else wants you to see it.