21st century journalism: How reporter opinions kill news

I have enjoyed one of the best months of Mays ever for weather temperatures. Accordingly, this is one of the lead sentences I’d nominate as most likely to succeed for taking everyone’s mind off our negative headlines.

Let’s say we never get up into the 90s until Labor Day weekend.

Would people’s heads explode?

Perhaps some.

The rest would surely follow suit should Labor Day weekend come and go, and the high temperatures drop back into the upper 60s and low 70s for the remainder of the year.

I’ve made up my mind that people’s heads quickly explode due to fear-provoking content.

Weather events like tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and forest fires make people take notice.

Summer temperatures that don’t get out of the 70s only garner attention when someone walking outside (in non-90 degree summer temperatures) gets injured.

There are risks we all take in the course of everyday thinking, not to mention living.

Most of the time, we don’t think about them.

These days the mainstream media typically decide where to place levels of gravity concerning news items they report.

How would seasonally low temperatures affect their news coverage?

Can temperatures that never approach 80 degrees pose a risk to one’s health?

I think somewhere, and somehow, anyone can find an expert to say they do.

Authorities, subject matter experts, and plain old-fashioned experts have a way of ruining a perfectly great 70-degree day–my vote for temperature sweet spot.

Speculation is the new everyday news. Journalists far too often insert their views into the story. In the old days, this kind of behavior would make their hard-nosed editors demand a re-write, eliminating said views from the article, keeping it objective and newsworthy for reporting purposes.

Probably best to get back to enjoying this 65-degree day. I hope I didn’t scare you into thinking we might not get temperatures in the 80s or 90s this summer. Frightening you is not my intention but based on how the news works these days, I could see how it could.

Sixty-five degree days in May have a way of surprising you, especially when the forecast might call for partly cloudy skies. Then suddenly, the sun comes out, beaming its rays of sunshine over and around you to enjoy.

I heard someone say earlier they wouldn’t mind if it only was 65 degrees for the high temperatures all summer long. I can’t say that I’m not down with that. Maybe a bit cool for the beach, but if the sun is out and temperatures get just above 70, the ocean will still be refreshing.

I’m not a pool and chlorine person. I’m a salt-water and seaweed person. 

It’s no wonder I take spirulina and chlorella supplements. I think they help keep me dreaming of the beach on 90-degree days. 

I know I just extolled the virtues of 65 and 70 degrees at the beach, but I’ve had a little time to reconsider this whole thing regarding it being 70 degrees all summer (and maybe year long).

I firmly believe it’s because I do not want people’s heads to explode because of it.