Most people do know about major catastrophe’s that happen in the world without looking at the newspaper, magazine, news on the internet, or on the television. Most of the time this is because people talk to one another. Someone read, watched, or heard from someone who read or watched the news. Whether it is in the doctor’s office, work, school, metro, or just talking to a family member or friend, word gets around. I can go without reading or watching something and know just about all the details of what was shown on television or what was printed, by talking to my mom, dad, or neighbors. One doesn’t have to go too far or try too hard to find out information. Now, whether this information is correct or if all the information was given is something we sometimes never find out.
There are so many conspiracy theories about 9/11. I watch a lot of Discovery channel and National Geographic. Just a few days ago, there was a show where “truthers” were saying that the twin towers were set up for demolition. There was another side trying to prove that this was not possible. Throughout the whole show they went back and forth and neither side proved a thing. Without the proof, what do we believe? Most people will make their decisions on the questions put into their heads by either side or might see the experiments given in the show as proof to counter the “truthers”. I cannot say I take any side. I wasn’t there, but the information I have is what was given to me by our local media. We may never know the details about what actually happened.
To find more information than what is in the media about anything, we have to do a lot of research. There are sites we can go to if we want to find out what other people have to say about the event, but we also have to consider if it is just an opinion or is what they are saying the truth. What is left out? Also we have to consider where the information came from and who their sources were.
Unless something is shown, for proof that the event actually happened a certain way, everything else is what we make the information we receive into or what they want us to believe. Unless proven, it is just “he said, she said”. Most of the time, everything rolls down hill that way. The information comes from someone all the way down to the last person who hears it. For those of us who has played the game as a child, where you whisper in the ear of the person beside you, and that whisper goes around a circle of people, the last person says it aloud and it is rarely what was said to begin with. I think we should, if we want to know something, try to find out ourselves. If not, I think the news and newspaper are more accurate ways of obtaining information then being at the bottom of the hill, where more is left out than what our local media leaves out.
I never really realized how important Internet sources were for finding information on major events. I mean of course Internet sources are popular and important. However, with that being said if someone were to ask me, which is more important when first learning about a major event, television or the Internet, my guess would have been the television. I am learning by reading our classmates blogs that the majority of us really enjoy the Internet as a major reliable source for information, especially on major events. I find it incredible to compare life, as we now know it compared to the past where the Internet was non-existent. The whisper game was a very unique way to explain how reliable information can be. Due to the variety of options we have when determining what source to use, we have to be extremely careful when determining and separation Hype from the reliable facts. This can sometimes be difficult. However, major stations and newspapers seem to be the most ideal sources when researching the facts. However, people I think have a tendency to use the Internet due to the convenience. I think it is pretty easy to decide what is personal opinion versus factual information when looking at the source itself. There are reliable sources to use to avoid being trapped and sucked into someone’s opinion.
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