Gratitude Practice 2020 Day 273: Access to Multiple News Outlets
Grateful for access to multiple news outlets and especially during such juicy times as election seasons. The news junkie in me finds it super important and valuable to watch, read and listen and to a handful of news stations to sift through the content and piece together a better frame of reality.
Grateful for the uber nerdy people who work off camera doing research and crunching numbers so the uber pretty people can deliver the news to us, the uber average people. I always look forward to watching news during big events because every now and again the super specific content expert nerds are brought in to clarify an often obscure detail. I enjoy their steady sweaty non-polished real person-ness as they help the average schlubs like me understand the complicated topics they have dedicated their lives to understanding. They always look a little stunned and a little flattered to be asked and always super nervous. I always want to give a little cheer when the uber nerds of the world get a little recognition for their hard working nerdy efforts.
Grateful for the talented graphic designers and coders and set designers and promo composers who work for weeks designing and developing compelling catchy themes and each one repping an almost obnoxious amount and combination of big bold bright patriotic colors….so many subtle stars and stripes... sprinkled and twinkled across the screens.
Grateful for the inspiring use of high tech smart boards complete with fancy touch screen technology...we've come a long way from tiny white boards, grungy dry erase markers and wads of paper towels.
Grateful for the studio grunts and interns who are ordering food around the clock and making endless pots of coffee to keep the humans fresh and fancy inside a 24 hours never ending news cycle.
Grateful for the seasoned veteran reporters. For their personal reflections and comparisons of prior related experience...their knowledge...their first hand wisdom... their formal journalism training coupled with decades of practical application. I love a good stroll down memory lane peppered with facts and theory as they recall a previous experience which helps make sense of the meaning and impact of a current event. And just as grateful for those who are just getting their first big breaks in the biz...the lucky ones who rise up and are asked to fill in whenever the station needs some real world footage from main street no-wheres-ville USA. Always grateful to see a few big dreams coming true as they stand courageously with mic in hand looking confidently into the big red light reporting from the center of the action. I think this pairing of the seasoned old guard and the ambitious young bucks is happening a ton during this very exciting election...and I just love watching the exchange.
Grateful for the news in all of its messy forms...for the reporters with their carefully chosen suits and perfectly styled hair. For the thoughtful interviews carefully planned to uncover and reveal. For the analysis, the data, the charts, the graphs. Grateful for radio, print and the panacea of news stations found on TV and cable. Never a flawless or fault-free industry...but what industry can really claim that lofty standard.
Grateful for so many ways to gather and process information. For the wordy breakdowns, for the critical analysis, for the snappy zingers and the heartfelt sing offs. Grateful for the news and the hope that in the end...we know more and think differently today than we did the day before.
