New College Franklin: Man as Thinker

How News Becomes the News

“Every news story is a reflection of the reporter who tells the story. Most news does not inhere in the event.  An event becomes news.  And it becomes news because it is selected for notice out of the buzzing, booming confusion around us.  This may seem a fairly obvious point but keep in mind that many people believe that the news is always out there, waiting to be gathered or collected.  In fact, the news is more often made rather than gathered.  And it is made on the basis of what the journalist thinks is important or what the journalist thinks the audience thinks is important. a viewer must know something about the political beliefs and economic situation of those who provide the news. It is after all, not the world as it is that they present day after day in their reports, columns, stories, and broadcasts; it is the world as they believe it is--or even, as they believe it ought to be." Neil Postman

"There are certain news organizations, newspapers, news magazines, wire services, and news broadcasts which have the ability to generate news.  They are the newsmakers, and when an item appears in them, it becomes news.  When it is omitted, it is not news." Francis Schaeffer

For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth, 
for the glory of the skies, 
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

 For the beauty of each hour 
 of the day and of the night, 
 hill and vale, and tree and flower, 
 sun and moon, and stars of light; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

 For the joy of ear and eye, 
 for the heart and mind's delight, 
 for the mystic harmony, 
 linking sense to sound and sight; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

 For the joy of human love, 
 brother, sister, parent, child, 
 friends on earth and friends above, 
 for all gentle thoughts and mild; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

 For thy church, that evermore 
 lifteth holy hands above, 
 offering up on every shore 
 her pure sacrifice of love; 
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.

 For thyself, best Gift Divine, 
 to the world so freely given, 
 for that great, great love of thine, 
 peace on earth, and joy in heaven:  
 Lord of all, to thee we raise 
 this our hymn of grateful praise.