'The News' by Alain de Botton

Ubiquitous News

Ubiquitous News!

Ubiquitous

My new favourite word! I had no idea what on earth it meant until listening to Alain De Botton’s talk on his new book ‘The News’ which was arranged by the approaching Cambridge Literary Festival.

For those of you who enjoy a cheeky new word, it means permeating, omnipresent, everywhere at all times; and forms the base of Alain's key descriptor for ‘The News’ in our society today.

In his talk and new book, Alain de Botton attempts to answer the question; ‘What is the news doing to us?’ The following blog is a short summary of his talk. It was a fantastic hour of interesting opinions and observations projected in a funny, relaxed style. Alain's tone was highly philosophical and no-doubt refined at King's College, Cambridge University when he studied his Masters in Philosophy in 1991. 

The average BBC News website user checks the website a staggering 4 times a day! On a daily basis, we are constantly and chaotically flooded will all types of ‘news’ yet we are not prepared on how to deal with this information. There is even evidence that the news has become, in effect, our new religion. Readers are looking to it for guidance, morals and as an arbiter of life.

It seems there is a constant battle between what is important and what is popular, which constantly antagonises editors. A news story focusing on Climate Change will receive less ‘hits’ than Taylor Swift’s legs in a dress. Why is this? Are we barbarians?

Alain diverted our attention to the Renaissance in an attempt to answer. The social reformers at this time believed a free press circulating knowledge would provide power to the people, and if important information was presented, people would listen because it is important. This however proved not to be the case.

In the Catholic Church, the religious ‘News’ was presented through altarpiece advertising campaigns; recognisable people doing normal things. Alain referred to it as ‘The Taylor Swift’s legs of the day’. So much of the news is not news at all.

In his book Alain outlines around 32 revolving archetypal news stories which we don’t always notice because our sensitivity is not sharpened, and ‘The News’ doesn’t want us to get intelligent. We remain undisturbed by the deaths of hundreds of people in a famine, or flood, forest fire or earthquake because the news denies us an empathetic connection with them. Instead focus is on important people doing normal things (celebrities having babies) providing us with a connection that is evidently more popular.

Alain also spoke of the tragedy of losing expert journalistic photography, and pictures which advance your knowledge of a situation. No-one is interested in spending money on this resource when there are cheaper, easier alternatives which are unfortunately devoid of information. He outlined the argument that we need this type of photography and the trained photographers to capture those moments. 

Another popular topic within the news is death; accidents, murders, abductions. Are we crazy? The impulse is to turn away from these stories however we are urged to look because deep within ourselves we are constantly searching for the meaning of life.

In the Renaissance period, it was common for wealthy merchants to display a skull on their main desk or table, as a ‘memento-mori’ a reminder that we will all die thus re-focusing our priorities on life. The news however fails to do this and instead invokes a fear of death rather than deep seated respect for it. It can be seen as an attempt to weaken our sense of resilience.

If we break down on a quiet country lane in the middle of the night, we are convinced that we will die; that the person in the farm house at the end of the long lane is an axe murderer. The news does not suggest that people are ‘nice’.

On the opposite end of this projection of humankind, is the projection of the superhuman. The exclusive Sunday paper spread on a business man or woman who by 35 has made millions, owns several houses and cars and look; (projects a picture of his subject smiling with a gorgeous woman) this is his wife.

This news story will mean you encounter a serious strobe lighting attack of envy, criticising your own life, values, goals and achievements in the light of an extraordinary, seemingly ordinary person. This news story presents you with an erroneous suggestion of what to do with our life. Alain suggests that the best way to combat such attacks is to keep a mental diary of envy, ensuring you keep a firm hold on what you do have. 

Alain's book attempts to provide a series of instructions and to encourage recognition that the most important ‘News’ is not what has happened in the last 5 seconds. There is ‘news’; important happenings and events spanning across time for the past 3000 years that we should seek out independently. Alain suggests that we should listen to ourselves and our own observations as a source of news, and to allow time for pondering memories, ideas, and questions to occupy our thoughts rather than feeding on what is provided by news cooperation’s. 

Alain concluded his talk by recommending The Philosopher's Mail. It's an intriguing website where respected philosophers re-write the Daily Mail in a metaphysical attempt to heal the gap between impertinence and population; I highly recommend a quick read. Favourite new words aside, it was a breathtaking talk and paves the way to the next Cambridge Literary Festival beautifully. 

Certainly something to think about on the river this spring!

Grace

Ubiquitous News

Date posted

Feb 14, 2014

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