1.27.2006

Aaron Brown agrees

I like Aaron Brown, the former CNN NewsNight anchor. He's very human, rational, speaks his mind, all of which I find lacking in today's news. Mr. Brown had just joined CNN, and his live coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City will forever be burned in my memory.

After my comments yesterday about confirmation bias, I found it ironic to read an article in the Palm Beach Daily News about a speech Brown gave on Tuesday. Call it my own confirmation bias, but his words perfectly summarize my thoughts:

Many Americans on the left and the right aren't interested in the truth, but simply want news that confirms their viewpoints, he said. "You'd think that it's no more complex than good vs. evil," he said.

Journalists have fallen short in presenting important news in ways that allow viewers to see how it matters in their lives. But viewers must take up the battle as well, he said. "It's not enough to say you want serious news. You have to watch it. It isn't enough to say you want serious debate. You have to engage in it."