Why it takes more than the media to grasp the world

[Valin]

Legal Insurrection:

“You only show a small part of the world, and call it “the world.””

Kemberlee Kaye

Monday, September 7, 2015

 

Hans Rosling from Gapminder explains why the media cannot and does not provide us with an accurate understanding of what’s happening globally. The idea seems a bit obvious, but how often is it actually articulated? If it’s not doom, gloom, scandal, or a puppy doing something cute, it doesn’t make the nightly news cut. The resultant product leaves the casual viewer with a skewed view on the state of global affairs.

 

 

The reporter asserts that the media reports on the state of the world as it is, that there is, “war, conflict, chaos.” Rosling immediately objects to this notion:

 

 

“That was wrong, you are wrong, straight up wrong!” he says. “There was a fantastic election in Nigeria. A democratic election in the largest nation in Africa, where a semi-capable government was replaced by a very competent leader now. Muhammadu, the new one, got support from the entire population. The fantastic election in Indonesia last year. The progress in India. Yesterday, India was declared free from tetanus.”

 

 

The reporter fires back that Nigeria is entrenched in war against Boko Haram.

 

(Snip)