| Global Times | July 08, 2011 01:42 By Global Times |
The escalator accident that killed one and injured dozens in the Beijing subway has shocked the country. Media reports have claimed all escalators in China's subways were sub-par.
Bad news does not come alone. Foods are unsafe, donations to charities are believed to have been squandered on mistresses, the oil leak in Bohai Bay was covered up for a month.
This country is apparently imperfect. When we read a newspaper or listen to the radio, we mostly hear bad news and few things can cheer us up.
It is easy to let ourselves be depressed. But each new day we embrace is a clean slate and could be one of the most important days in our lives. We have work to do, friends to meet and parents to visit. We need to be optimistic and bring happiness to others.
We go through one day after another, and most of us are lucky. Although death and insecurity in the media surround us and make us nervous in the real world, the dangers are not always lurking so close.
In fact, we find older people are living longer; children are healthier; the local governments, which "pressure people to death in forced demolition," are improving their work; the policeman at the crossroad may be more amicable than before.
There are always unlucky people who encounter "corrupt officials," "brutal chengguan" (urban management officers) or deadly accidents. No one can guarantee that we will never meet the same unfortunate fate.
But we believe the changing Chinese society will bring better luck to ever more people.
The media has been stubbornly exposing negative things. Suspicion and criticism are becoming popular.
This does not mean there are more and more problems or bad people in society. On the contrary, media supervision is stronger than ever before. More ulcers are pierced open, but the body is getting better.
In the past, the media was laden with only good news, and bad news only circulated among people as rumors.
Now this is reversed. The news media scrambled to cover scandals, marginalizing good things or normal happenings. Still, those ignored positives exist in our daily lives, although outside the the realm of raging microblogs.
An information network that carries a variety of things and reflects the whole picture does not exist. It is the rule of news media to focus on one side of the world.
However, it is always up to us to make judgment of the information.
Do not let the flood of information spoil your day. The news stories are true, but do not represent the full reality. Look around yourselves, you may find more heart-warming stories.
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