Larry D. Lauer

September 11, 2017.  What a day!

We paused today to remember the horrible world trade center disaster, which all of us watched unfold live on television. And how could it be that on the anniversary of that horrible event we are watching still another devastating event on television, this time a second destructive hurricane in as many weeks.

The mysterious nature of this medium allows us to watch news unfold before our very eyes, and then involve us emotionally and helplessly in the experience. But there are also interesting questions about television’s unique capacity to become a part of the event itself, and then go on to mislead us in unintended ways.

This week I reached a milestone of 400 posts about media and the way they influence social change. And I am more mindful than ever of two media facts that continue to dominate my thinking:

1. Media Revolutions Change Everything.  After this week and during the months ahead I will broaden my thinking beyond tragic events, leadership, politics, government, and foreign affairs, to include families, individuals, values, religion, education, and more.
2. Communication Always Fails. And I will also continue to explore the perplexing challenges of trying to communicate effectively in this overwhelming, information cluttered, digital media world.

COMING SOON: My reflections on both the benefits and problems of following Irma on TV. And then, onward.