When I was a kid and my brother and I would fight my mom would encourage us to be nice to each other. "Be nice! Play nice!" she would say.
Wouldn't the world be a much better place if we'd all just 'be nice'?
This year there was a study done called "Civility in America: A Nationwide Survey." It says America has a "national civility disorder." Well, wouldn't ya know it. In the last few years there are more 'disorders' being treated in people than ever before. Why not give one to the whole country? I wonder what prescription the pharmaceutical companies will come up with for that one!
Surveyors asked people to rate the most uncivil institutions. Without surprise, politics is first on the list, followed in order by pop culture, society at large, and finally, the media.
82% of the public agrees with the statement: "The media is more interested in controversy than the facts." But two-thirds of those surveyed ranked PBS as "civil." People view it as a kinder alternative than news channels and some newspapers. Well, that's no surprise, after all it IS the home of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and the guy with the fuzzy hair that teaches you how to paint.
Hope FM may not be a news outlet but we're still lumped in with media. I think we're even nicer than PBS, great as they are.
Just to show how you really can't depend completely on results of surveys (or what you get from the news), not only did the survey not define "civility," they didn't even ask respondents whether they watched PBS or any of the other media outlets listed.
Makes me wonder where I rank on the list. Not just Hope FM's kindness factor to our listeners and community. But where do I stand when it comes to being nice? It's a good thing I don't care where or if I place on a national survey. As Hebrew National boasts, I answer to a higher power! And I strive to exemplify these nice qualities known as the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
How fruity are you?
Wouldn't the world be a much better place if we'd all just 'be nice'?
This year there was a study done called "Civility in America: A Nationwide Survey." It says America has a "national civility disorder." Well, wouldn't ya know it. In the last few years there are more 'disorders' being treated in people than ever before. Why not give one to the whole country? I wonder what prescription the pharmaceutical companies will come up with for that one!
Surveyors asked people to rate the most uncivil institutions. Without surprise, politics is first on the list, followed in order by pop culture, society at large, and finally, the media.
82% of the public agrees with the statement: "The media is more interested in controversy than the facts." But two-thirds of those surveyed ranked PBS as "civil." People view it as a kinder alternative than news channels and some newspapers. Well, that's no surprise, after all it IS the home of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and the guy with the fuzzy hair that teaches you how to paint.
Hope FM may not be a news outlet but we're still lumped in with media. I think we're even nicer than PBS, great as they are.
Just to show how you really can't depend completely on results of surveys (or what you get from the news), not only did the survey not define "civility," they didn't even ask respondents whether they watched PBS or any of the other media outlets listed.
Makes me wonder where I rank on the list. Not just Hope FM's kindness factor to our listeners and community. But where do I stand when it comes to being nice? It's a good thing I don't care where or if I place on a national survey. As Hebrew National boasts, I answer to a higher power! And I strive to exemplify these nice qualities known as the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
How fruity are you?
*Special thanks to Bill Arbuckle of Focus on the Family's Briargate Media for the info on this survey and inspiration for the blog post and on-air content. And my apologies for any stolen lines from his article. :)
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