Introduction to Strategic News

As we begin our journey into a new concept and category of journalism, it is important to create a reliable framework and lay a solid foundation from which to build our insight and understanding as to what’s really happening on this planet.

Reference points

Reference points are essential in attempting to create a clear world view and establish where we are at. Reference points, like the North Star, are reliable, knowable constants in a sea of relative confusion.

Knowing what the key reference points are, and understanding which constants are relevant and how to use them, is part of the very essence and advantage of strategic news. Reference points are unchanging facts not opinions. As such, reference points are objective facts which are self-evident to all, and don’t need “proving”.

An example of this would be the fact that it’s 2011. Irrespective of someone’s theoretical opinions as to whether we have the correct calendar, the Chinaman’s checkbook and the Hindu’s house payment both are banked with that date on it. It is critical to maintain this kind of basic objectivity when establishing our key points of reference.

In the battle between the Black and White team (the “know-it-alls”) who tend right and conservative, and the Grey team (the “nothing-can-be-knowns”) who tend to lean left, the answer is definitely not the extreme middle of mediocrity. One of the most simple and obvious truths of the Universe is that life is not a question of Absolutism versus Relativity.

Life is much more like a common business plan (WHO KNEW?!)
Life is a mixture of fixed constants and variables.

Dangerous Daily Denials

It is amazing how often such basic facts are ignored or denied on a daily basis, and it has been proven time and again that people will believe what they want to in spite of hard evidence to the contrary.

“A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still...”

An extreme example of this are self-denials over drug use, loss of a loved one, and in some cases the need to keep one’s job.. We see it every day, and sometimes even you and I may have succumbed to denying the facts. “One more won’t hurt...”. “I didn’t mean to..”

Facts exist regardless of human opinions.

The moons of Jupiter were there before Galileo invented the telescope.

This is critical to establish, because so much of what is reported today is considered “Spin”.

The very idea that no one can know the facts, or that everything is a matter of opinion, is self-defeating.

It has become far too easy to disregard anything anyone says anymore with the one simple throw away line, “That’s just your opinion”.

Blue in the face on a bed of nails, swearing on your mother’s grave with sworn affidavits, and your primary school teacher as your eye witness, but it’s just your opinion! Ugh. This is an unfortunate fact of life today, and as such, is one of the very pivotal points of reference we need to deal with, because all other subjects and events we discuss and examine in this column will be held up to this kind of  remark. Nevertheless, facts do exist regardless of opinions. Unless what.... you disagree?

Jumping to conclusions

Having established that facts exist, however, does not necessarily mean we understand their significance.

Many bigoted, narrow-minded people believe in absolute facts and can end up being quite wrong...

The Bible says homosexuality is wrong, therefore we should boycott Disney? Not necessarily.

Child porno is wrong therefore we should filter all Internet Access? Not necessarily. Guns kill therefore no one should have them except the authorities?.....OOPs. . Gambling is bad therefore all government lotteries should be discontinued.....Don’t mean to step on toes, but this is the level of discussion we are having in today’s society, which is precisely the reason for attempting to create a larger-issue arena.

Isolated Issues

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the sound-byte age we live in, capsular commentary is demanded to satisfy short attention spans, and we are living with the results...Trying to string a number of isolated issues together without any framework is creating a nightmare over legislation and public opinion on moral values and lifestyle choices.

Up until now, larger picture views have all been considered opinion or religion because objectivity has been difficult to maintain, and clearly agreeable points of reference have not been established outside of the context of personal belief systems.

Today, we hope to break that nauseating trend, and will conclude this introduction with just a few facts and reference points for the readership to chew on before we start putting the pieces together next month.

A few facts to consider....

We live on a planet with limited resources and a rapidly growing population. Technology is bringing people, issues and events together at unprecedented rates of speed.

We have a phenomenon called “The Media” which has never existed in its present form in the history of mankind, where so many people can be reached by so few, with compelling sounds and pictures, in just moments, simultaneously all over the world.

Human nature hasn’t changed.

Identification is required in the US today. Many Americans believed only a few short decades ago that requiring identification was an infringement of personal freedom, and we fought against it. See the Social Security Act of 1935.

You must obey the law. Lawyers and Politicians create the laws. Unless you are a lawyer or politician you don’t. However, you get to vote.

Your vote is based on the information you can get that is available. The Media is driven by profits, ratings, readerships and advertising dollars. Advertisers often get intimidated by special interest groups.

Libel suits and fear of getting sued is an increasing concern amongst journalists.

Some people believe we are going to enter a new age of peace on earth during the next millennium, and some don’t. Some believe in God, and some don’t. Either there is a God or there isn’t and our opinion won’t change the fact.

Either things will remain status quo, or something tumultuous will happen unexpectedly, or we will evolve and vote ourselves into world peace, or it could be the end of the world coming up...or....

You have to make up your own mind, unless you want someone else to do it for you. You can only make decisions, and assess your situation based on the information available to you, to prepare for the rest of your life. What’s right, what’s wrong, where we’re at, and what’s next. Reality not religion. Facts for faith, real faith not blind faith. Hence, the need for strategic news.

Strategic News will continue to focus on the issues, concepts and reference points which directly impact all other news and opinions, across all subject categories and boundaries, and that’s what makes it strategic. Call (706) 573-3769 with questions or comments. Or email the editor.