News
Avoiding bringing your agenda to news
One of my least favourite biblical stories takes place about a year after the children of Israel fled Egypt. During that time, they are said to have witnessed the magical splitting of the sea, received the ten commandments, and formed a complex judicial system.
HOWARD FELDMAN
They had, in a short time, been transformed from slaves into a nation. The story takes place when they arrived at the borders of the land of Israel, when it was decided that before entering the land, they would send in 12 spies – a representative from each tribe – to check the place out.
The spies entered the country, and the Israelites waited with anticipation for word. Word, it transpires, that would be so problematic, it would result in them spending a further 40 years in the desert.
Why this is interesting to me is because the 12 spies all viewed the same place. They all saw the large people, and the giant fruit. But for 10 of them it was negative, while for two it was the opposite.
They were entrusted to report objectively, and they would definitely consider that they had done so.
The report wasn’t fake news, but something equally dangerous – reporting with an agenda. This is when our bias has an impact on what we report on and how we report on it.
COVID-19 has highlighted this in multiple ways. The case of hydroxychloroquine is one such area. Towards the beginning of the pandemic, this drug was seen as a potential treatment. That was until Donald Trump, in his wisdom, decided to get involved and mention it. Why he chose to do so is anyone’s guess.
Following his statement, a genius couple in the United States who would never have grown to adulthood in any prior century (because they would have run into a fire or jumped off a cliff to see if they could fly), drank fish-tank cleaner because it contained similar elements. The consequences weren’t pretty, with the husband dying and the wife becoming ill.
In no time at all, an obscure “research” outfit called Surgisphere then released a finding that the Lancet Medical Journal published. The World Health Organization then halted trials of the drug. Only when it came to light that the research company was headed up by an adult film star and a science-fiction writer, was this retracted and the drug trials resumed.
Would this have happened if there wasn’t an inherent bias against Trump? Of course, we can’t be certain. We don’t know why the Lancet published a finding without due diligence, but it’s possible that it suited a bias.
The US in many ways is a glorious but shocking example of narrative news. Almost every subject is politicised and views are defined by which side of the aisle people sit. COVID-19 is simply a further expression of that politicisation. We need to view much of the information we receive in that context.
Every day, in preparation for my show or my columns, I get to choose what to talk about and what not to. Both are equally as important. The expression of my views has resulted in me being called a self-hating Jew, told that my late mom would be ashamed of me, and that I have no understanding of Judaism or faith.
I have been called a communist, a liberal, as well as a right-wing Neo-Nazi. I have been called a baby killer, photoshopped into gas chambers, and called some other names, which although funny, aren’t so flattering. I have been threatened on numerous occasions, as has my family. Why? Because I express a view that might make someone uncomfortable. That’s how strong our need for agreement is. That’s why we fake news and apply our own agenda.
And that’s why I do what I do.