shewholaughs

This is why I went into journalism, initially:

Many years ago, Alexis de Tocqueville praised the press in large and populous nations such as America for its ability to unite people who share certain beliefs about an issue but, because they feel 'insignificant and lost amid the crowd,' cannot act alone. According to Tocqueville the press fulfills its highest purpose when it serves as a beacon to bring together people who otherwise might ineffectively seek each other 'in darkness.' Newspapers can bring them 'together and... keep them united.' If there were no newspapers or if newspapers failed to do their task, he observed, 'there would be no common activity.'

Now I don't know. We treat so much drivel as news, preferring to ignore the real issues. We insist on seeing events as isolated and out of context, beyond our ability to help or even just understand. We embrace the easy answer. (Why do they hate us? Because we are free. Free to do what, exactly? Free to change the channel?) A few newspapers still serve as 'beacons,' but how many people are earnestly looking for that light? We all seem to be looking inward, we're bowling alone, and I think we're worse off for it.