Apathy Fatigue

I was very struck with this week’s discussion about problems with today’s media configuration and the responses it provokes in the American public. A lot of people seemed to hold very strong opinions about the apathy of the American people. I brought up compassion fatigue as maybe an alternative to apathy, because inundation in the media can be overwhelming. But really I think we are sometimes too self critical. Media monopolies and media illiteracy pose some serious roadblocks to the flow and reception of information but I like to think that the American people are pretty well informed… maybe just not about what the vice president’s name is… Washington DC can be such a bubble, especially in terms of communication. Current events communication is the currency of power in this town. What is easy to forget in a community like Washington and especially at AU, is that Middle America still exists. We may way underdeveloped compared to Europe in our international political conscious, but just the fact that my grandfather in Valentine, Nebraska knows where Darfur is, knows that Burma exists, speaks to the effectiveness of modern communication. Apathy to some is baby steps to me I guess.