When Andy brought up Barbara Tuchman (at right) in his comment on the George Orwell essay, it reminded me of my favorite observation by Tuchman.I have used it in presentations to the public, who often complain that journalists focus only on the bad news. That's a danger in all that is recorded, Tuchman says, whether it be in the indispensable documents used by historians or in present-day newspapers. "The fact of being on the record," Tuchman says, "makes (disaster) appear continuous and ubiquitous whereas it is more likely to have been sporadic . . ."
Want proof of that? Take a look at our own times, Tuchman says:
"After absorbing the news of today, one expects to face a world consisting entirely of strikes, crimes, power failures, broken water mains, stalled trains, school shutdowns, muggers, drug addicts, neo-Nazis, and rapists. The fact is that one can come home in the evening -- on a lucky day -- without having encountered more than one or two of there phenomena."
Not sure that ever convinced the public, but at least it showed that the problem wasn't unique to my paper.
Be sure to read Andy's comments -- and add any of your own.
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