See What I’m Saying?

Feeling a perverse urge to do something I don’t normally do, by “normally do” I of course meant “never do.” So last evening I listened to the radio. 

And by me turning my clock radio on, with an actual intent to listen to it, may not seem as strange as it necessarily was. But, understand, I haven’t listened to the radio (minus the bits of 680News I hear while in the van) in maybe 5 years? And it was, probably, another 5 before that? I’m not a fan of radio. For no other reason than I never have been. I’ve no idea why. Just the way it is.

Anyway not my point. A Toronto newspaper, which I’ve always known as kind of a joke, ran a commercial while I was listening…

It shouldn’t and wasn’t a surprise this particular station ran this particular “news” organizations ad. I envision each of the entities demographics to be strikingly similar for some reason. It could very well be me though. I digress.

I was somewhat puzzled by the commercials content. The commercial consisted of a question, something like, how much garbage is dumped into Lake Ontario on a daily basis. Then followed by 3 “multiple choice” answers. A: (again, I can’t accurately recall specifics) 1.2 tonnes? B: 1.3 tonnes? Or C: I’m never drinking tap water again?

Which in an of itself, if it’s true, is depressing. And the message is sadly noted and worried about, by none other than me, if no-one else. But does having a so-called news reporting organization advertise in this manner strike anyone else as severely problematic?

I thought the role of journalism, I’m possibly giving them more credit than they deserve by suggesting what they do is “journalism,” was to speak fact and to not necessarily concentrate on any one solution? Single specific solutions are accompanied by single specific opinions. See what I’m saying?

F.Y.I. This was a seemingly much better idea when it was in my head. Than I attempted to write it out and ruined it. The rest is history…