Friday, April 19, was an interesting day.
I was out at the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit (which was great), but it was also the day the week’s horrors in Boston came to a culmination … though none of us could have foreseen that. And so much else was happening everywhere. The fertilizer plant fire in Texas was still fresh in the news, and there were other disasters, both natural and manmade, taking place all around the world.
On the “not-disaster” front, life went on as usual too. Just in Steamboat Springs, Colo., for example, police were called to deal with:
- “an ongoing problem with barking dogs in the 400 block of Eaglepointe Court,”
- a hot tub cover that had been “vandalized” while the owner was out of town (they later determined most likely by a bear), and
- someone selling magic mushrooms (the girl who ate them told her grandmother that she was being chased by giraffes).
Random thought: life goes on, even when we are in the middle of disaster and tragedy.
Especially in the last few weeks I’ve seen a lot of vituperation online about how digital platforms and social networks, with Twitter being called out frequently, should and shouldn’t be used. I’ve seen people defend their positions, attack others, and been on the receiving end of the latter myself, in a small way.
People seem to be getting angry at others online much more quickly. Some of it seems to be warranted – for example, when official news organizations don’t report information accurately or without having done due diligence. But sometimes, it seems simply to be reacting for the sake of doing so, or because others are, or because one can.
Random thought: just because one can, isn’t a good enough reason to hurt someone else.
Friday gave us some great examples of how far social networks and owned media platforms have come as credible information sources when used the right way (who broke the news of the Boston capture? Not Andersoon Cooper on CNN, though you could tell he was just itching to. It was the Boston Police Department:
Suspect in custody. Officers sweeping the area. Stand by for further info.
”” Boston Police Dept. (@Boston_Police) April 20, 2013
That’s incredible, if you think of it. In less than a decade, we have gone squarely from having to depend on “the media,” to becoming “the media” ourselves, when we use the communication platforms and tools at our disposal wisely, and have built up enough of an audience and, ideally, community, to help us get the word out.
Random thought: this is huge. I’m not saying the media is dead – not yet, at least – but in my opinion they do have a lot of credibility building (or rebuilding) to do.
There are more random thoughts spinning around in my head, but I’ll stop here. It is Monday, after all. What’s on your mind… and would you care to share? “Big” or “little,” I’d love to know. Because sometimes it’s just nice to chat. So do share; you know the comments are yours.
@Shonali – this is actually a reply to your comment to my initial comment but I’m having trouble with it “taking” as a reply so am trying this route:
Hi Shonali – yes 18 at least. As running towns go, Tallahassee is passionate about running. Our February marathon, being “flat,” is frequently used to try to get a Boston Marathon qualifying time. Anyway, yes it was frightening and yes (hooray!) they are all okay. I agree with you about the media trying to “make stories where there were none.” It was as if they (not to overgeneralize but many of them) felt like something — anything — had to be coming out of their mouths for them to still “count.” Here’s one article about our Tallahasseeans who went to Boston: AND — here’s a super cool thing — our community came together over 1000 strong on the Sunday following the marathon to “finish” it. One of the main organizers wrote about it here:
biggreenpen I’m so glad they are all ok!
I love these random thoughts, thank you Shonali! Life DOES go on; it’s NOT okay to hurt people; everyone really IS a reporter now. I love all 3 messages. :)
Lindsay Nichols Thank you, Lindsay!
Vituperation? Whadda ya doin’? You trying to chase me and Howie Goldfarb off?
So you think media will go the way of printed news? I try not to get too sucked in with events like that because I’m already pissed they have disrupted the ‘norm’ in my life. However, I heard CNN was putting out bad information after bad information just to be putting something out.
I think twitter does have a place for a specific events like this; it can be ‘real’ time, but like anything else, you have to take it all with a grain of salt….provided grain of salt means don’t believe everything you read, right?
bdorman264 Howie Goldfarb I wouldn’t dream of it!
No, I don’t think the media is all going to die… but I do think they have a lot of soul-searching to do and deliver real value, that people are willing to pay for. And I think that points more and more to integrating digital and real value from a content and analysis point of view. Now that we don’t need them to “break” news, or even “confirm” it… what do we need them for? It’s a fascinating thing to think about.
Here is the thing – life goes on no matter what else is going on. The week before I got hit by a car and suffered a massive concussion along with two broken skull bones. It did not matter that I was poor and uninsured. I still got cared for and back home in time to see all of the marathon and the aftermath.
What this also reminds me is that life is really fragile. I could have died in the crosswalk being hit by a 65 year old woman. That did not happen. I am still here and plan on it for quite some time. It did, however, put life into perspective very quick for me.
I am happy that the people responsible are not still at large. I hope the people greatly touched by this tragedy can find a way to heal and move on.
NancyD68 Are you going to be ok, Nancy? It is really good to see you here, it’s been a while since we talked.
I think you’re right; every time something like this happens close to home (because it happens, somewhere, all the time), it reminds us of how fleeting life is. I just wish we could retain that perspective a tad longer, don’t you?
Still amazed that a country that the people who tend to be the ones making restrictive laws idolizes a ‘God’ who ‘created everything’ ‘deny evolution’ ‘feel the president is a freedom stealing communist’…also think plants and fungus that grow naturally can’t be grown, eaten or smoked etc. And that poor Giraffe must of been really pissed to chase anyone since they are peace loving animals.
While the FBI and Police asking for help via Twitter is new most Celebs and Sports stars stopped holding press conferences long ago and now use Twitter..for good or bad..to announce things.
I also find it sad that we pick and choose which of the 4 million deaths per year are special and which aren’t. We have 15000 murders and 18000 suicides (most with guns) including many of children and no one cares the news barely mentions and no one cares about.
All I can say I hope I die in a mass murder or terrorist plot because that will mean a big load of cash for my family (see 9/11) than if I die in a car crash that is my fault (get nothing) or from Cancer (could bankrupt me) messed up country huh?
Howie Goldfarb Well, to an extent we have to “pick and choose,” as it were. Even the most caring among us would go crazy if we allowed ourselves to mourn over every single tragedy. That’s our defense mechanism kicking in. So that I understand. But there is definitely an “us v. them” mentality that is not pleasant… anywhere, not just in this country.
I know what you mean about the insurance (and I bet bdorman264 does too!). So the best solution is for you to keep on living!
Good thoughts, Shonali — better than good — insightful and thought-provoking in their own way. I share with everyone trying to come to terms with what happened at Boston, especially since I rely on my local running community (18 of whom were at Boston) for so much of my social support and enjoyment — they are such good people, so disciplined and humane. If you’re asking what really made me scratch my head this week, though, it’s the fact that against my better judgement I clicked over to some posts by conspiracy theorists and others at a far, far, far away point on the political spectrum from me, and I came away chilled — I don’t have the sense that there’s a “middle ground” for some of these people. And it’s lack of ability to find enough middle ground to hear what people you disagree with are saying that turns people’s hearts hard. IMO.
biggreenpen Wow, you had 18 of your folk in Boston? That must have been so frightening. Are they all ok?
One of the things I found a little repellent was how “the media” were trying to make stories where there were none, at least, there was no evidence for them at the time. What happened to exercising one’s judgement?