A glass of your daily news.

Reality, in terms of it being infiltrated to the masses, is often directed to them through the news media. Understandably, it is effected along the way. The old saying, "Don't kill the messenger" applies here. However, the messenger most definitely should be held responsible. Information, like acid rain (if you will), hits a variety of effecting sources as it travels to it's final destination: the news consumer. Acid rain is no pleasant way to think about your "truth-gathering" media sources, but in my opinion, we should never be so comfortable as to take in the news believing that 100 percent of the time it is pure. Just like our water.

So basically, I agree with the existence McComb's Agenda-setting Theory, 1972. He says:

"Newspapers and TV news, even the tightly edited pages of a tabloid newspaper or internet web site, do considerably more then signal existence of major events and issues."

"Throughout their day to day selection and display of news, editors and new directors focus our attention and influence our perceptions of what are the most important issues of the day. This ability to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda has come to be called the agenda-setting role of the media."

While it's frightening to think that this is all being down out of our control, it's imperative to continue to analyze, question and consider the fact that the news isn't in our hands. It's been touched by hundreds of people, memories, biases and motives before it's printed in our paper and consumed along with our morning coffee. Or not consumed. Unfortunately - the part that is most disturbing to me - is the content that is left out, never seen, never heard. That's what we should be working towards, as journalists and story-tellers: to telling the truth *as best as we can*, and not let anything slip away.

(Picture above taken by Adam Polessli, called "Acid Rain", found on Flickr)