Ignorance
Masquerading as Opinion
“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”
(Goethe)
I was thinking about these poseurs who call themselves
"opinion journalists" and what an oxymoron that is and, more
importantly, how these halfwits must make the skins of the sadly shrinking
population of real journalists crawl.
I realize that it's a source of very cheap labor (and
these publishers are certainly getting what they're paying for), but I still
have this old-fashioned view that even stupid and ill-formed opinions ought to
be based on some semblance of real inquiry and some modest factual basis rather
than random rants written to order and based on factoids and fiction.
Sure I understand that it's quicker and easier just to
make these "opinions" up (forget being there or doing any of the real
research) and to claim to be relying on someone else's reporting - especially
when you're trying to juggle a few too many commitments all at the same time.
And I also get that there's nothing easier in this
media-crazed world than to find someone willing to say whatever you need said
for whatever reasons and in support of whatever agenda they may have. But
that's no better than just talking to yourself and certainly no more helpful or
instructive. In fact, having these people just stand in front of a mirror and
talk to themselves might be the least damaging and most narcissistically
satisfying thing that they can do.
All of this wouldn't matter except that - as we
continue to dilute and degrade what passes for journalism - it becomes harder
and harder with a straight face to tell our kids that thoughtful, intelligent
and civilized public discourse and the aggressive discussion of competing ideas
and viewpoints is one of the most important foundations of our democracy.
We want our kids to learn to think and reason - not to
rant - like the naysayers trying to sell newspapers (though thankfully not for
much longer) or the bozos on cable or in Congress. Children and young adults
today are facing an unprecedented flood of indiscriminate information (and a
bunch of crappy, one-sided opinions as well) and they need to learn how to
filter the flow, evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various
positions, and ultimately decide what they believe.
This isn't rocket science, but it is a scientific
process and it's one that is just beginning to be taught in some of our schools
and it's gonna rock the very foundations of our educational system because it's
about teaching our kids how to think and think for themselves rather than
memorizing a bunch of conventional wisdom spewed by a "sage on the
stage" which may or may not have any real value for them in the future.
As I have watched some of our EDtech companies at 1871
(especially ThinkCERCA) roll these
new programs out to schools, it has been a joy and a wonder to see how quickly
the students adopt the new approach and move from passively sitting back as the
old wisdom washes over and right past them to leaning into this new world where
they actively take control and responsibility for constructing arguments and
building the foundations for their own education. Tell me - I might listen.
Show me - I might learn. But let me do it myself and I own it for life.
Watching the kids using ThinkCERCA’s tools to build their arguments step by step starting
with their Claim – then gathering the Evidence for it – then
explaining their Reasoning for it – next addressing the Counter
Arguments – and doing it all in Language appropriate to their
audiences is an amazing experience. You can just feel the difference – they’re
taking responsibility and control and ownership – and it shows in their
posture, in their faces, and in the results.
This is exciting stuff and the sad sacks that call themselves journalists
could learn a lot from these kids who actually know whereof they speak.