Hugh Sykes at the summit of Mt. Tochal
Image source: BBC UK
The title is from Hugh Sykes’s slideshow presentation on Tehran. His presentation exhibits Tehran from a visitor’s point of view juxtaposed with the point of view of Iranians on the street. He quotes from his interviews, revealing the thoughts and views of some Iranians about life in Iran and the leaders of their country. The slideshow is a five-minute presentation and is worth viewing
I felt compelled to add this to my notes, because, lately, I’d been feeling alienated from the real news. I prefer to listen to reports like Sykes’s. I prefer to hear from “people on the streets” rather than from politicians and the media. Yes, this presentation is from the media, and perhaps I’m deluding myself, but my point is, the media tend to infuse the public with their own points of view. They don’t report on facts anymore. Objective journalism is becoming simply an ideal and no longer a reality. I like reports that present people’s views without media filtering and manipulation. (I have a lot to say about trusting the media and what and how they present audio and video clips, etc. but that’s for another discussion altogether.)
Also, constant news of war, terrorism, and childish, egotistic politics are enough to make a person believe that that is all there is in the world. They create illusions that what the global leaders are doing to their countries and to each other reflect the views and aspirations of the average citizen. I know my own situation enough not to be fooled by political speeches that claim that they are speaking for the average joe. They’re not. Let the people speak for themselves, and, personally, I’m more interested in what they have to say.
Tags: a wish for peace, Articles, publications, world culture, world politics
