The media continue to report narratives (theirs) instead of stories. Here’s a headline you didn’t see, but should have: “Sea Ice Returns to 1979 Levels: Growth Is Fastest Rate of Change Ever.” From the notice at Daily Tech:
Thanks to a rapid rebound in recent months, global sea ice levels now equal those seen 29 years ago, when the year 1979 also drew to a close.
Ice levels had been tracking lower throughout much of 2008, but rapidly recovered in the last quarter. In fact, the rate of increase from September onward is the fastest rate of change on record, either upwards or downwards. The data is being reported by the University of Illinois’s Arctic Climate Research Center, and is derived from satellite observations of the Northern and Southern hemisphere polar regions.
Surely, this story was worth with reporting prominently as it is relevant to the debate over the existence and/or causes of global warming. But the media’s narrative—as opposed the the reality—holds that there is no debate; it’s getting hotter and something must be done!. This story counters the narrative. Hence, we heard the sound of crickets from the major outlets.
Meanwhile Pravda is predicting a catastrophic ice age. Can’t we stop it with the terror headlines already? Weather changes and nobody can really do anything about it.
Back to the point: C’mon journalists—stop being advocates and do your jobs! If you will just follow LAPD Sergeant Joe Friday’s advice when questioning witnesses (boy, am I aging myself), and give us “the facts, Ma’am. Just the facts,” media can rebound. We need our newspapers!
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
