Thank you for reading this article and the others in our news pages. We hope it informs and perhaps raises questions.
In a world where "news" and information bombards the reader, the casual observer or anyone who simply listens to a conversation, being open to information and finding objective and accurate end-points is becoming more and more of a challenge for readers.
Even for those who make their careers in the news and information business, it can be a lot to take in. On Monday morning as the planning for this space was underway, the ticker scrolls on television newscasts and online notifications continued to roll and 'ping' onto viewing screens, providing juicy, informative and yes, even head-scratching fodder.
Prices at Vancouver gas stations are lower than last year, says one news source because to the increased fuel supply from the much-debated TMX pipeline. Another news-piece says, "First lung cancer vaccine trials launch, powered by COVID mRNA technology." Keeping with the medical breakthroughs, another news headline says eating processed meat daily is linked to higher risks of Type 2 diabetes.
The day also opened with news that another study says consuming twice the recommended levels of fluoride in drinking water is linked to lower IQ in kids. Another says StatsCan is reporting that Employment Insurance claims are on the rise for working-age men and women . . . and the Taliban has banned women from speaking in public places or showing their faces.
These are some pretty massive issues to digest . . . and this is just from one morning of news. What will the fallout be from a world where opinion travels at the speed of light? And while we digest and dig into these headlines, what the world-altering ones be tomorrow?
Trying to find a complete story, one with all sides and angles covered – one with a definitive result, can be like trying to catch a single dust particle in a dust storm. There are so many headlines, so many news sources . . . so many questions.
And that's why this section began with a thank-you. Local newsrooms are staffed with community members who are proud to be the closest news links to the communities they serve. Our newsrooms also know that not everyone is going to like all of the news that is served to them – locally, regionally, provincially or globally – but we hope our readers can appreciate that our newsrooms are doing their best to make things a little more clear in that dust-storm of news.
