By Claudia S. Gold
ALTADENA, California — I overheard my cousin Karen, on the phone, welcoming her dog Flegel, who just was brought in the door from a walk. Karen shouted with such enthusiasm, joy, and warmth. “Fliegel!!!!”
I had an odd thought that when God needs a distraction, He/She tunes to people talking to their dogs and cats, rats or chickens, because it’s just the most refreshing thing to hear, after listening to the human news: It is depressing. Where is justice? Why are people misrepresented? God, I imagine, shuts off the news (or what’s left of it) for a while to take a break.
Someone, besides me, has thoughts about what God wants to hear. Because about ten days ago, while working on a coming-of-age story in a writing collective called “A Writing Room,” I fell asleep and heard the words:
Where is God in the news industry?
That was surprising. This morning, I thought I heard the question. It sounds important. Perhaps I was given a prompt to write a larger coming-of-age story than the one about myself. About the evolution of ethics in the news. I should broach the subject.
I asked a young relative, “
“Nowhere,” she said.
Next, I asked a retired reporter who had worked at NPR and had been Director of Voice of America, Southeast Asia. She answered, “That’s a good question.” She paused for a while, then said, “Wherever truth is told.”
I will ask you the same question below.
While this topic is a weighty one, I will add humor where I can, because we have enough seriousness in the world now. I hear coyotes howling right now, in a burn zone next to my apartment in Altadena, California. It could be that they are urging me to get on with it.
Here are my questions in response, using we/us/our pronouns:
Could the Sacred Mystery’s texts be referred to in the media where relevant, especially when universal, common-to-all religions and spiritual paths for their truth, mercy, gentleness, and faith heighten our ethical pens?
When we address local or world events, are we seeing through the lens of wisdom and understanding from our meditations, prayers, yoga sleep poses, worship services, or plant medicine experiences – recent or from the 60s and 70s??
In our times, (and I’m not referring to the dating app) when the hearts and bodies of so many are broken, might the news industry lift those who have barely a hope left, while the world has not evolved yet to reflect the oneness of all people on the planet, and the love that inspires? Can we anticipate human needs, be early adapters, light-bearers?
Can we, by the focus of our writing, bring in a sense of belonging, like we give our pets, instead of reflecting the harshness of division?
Can some of the way we talk to our dogs, cats, and guinea pigs be channeled into our news—the generosity of heart, enthusiasm, authenticity, and humor? Will our readers and viewers (and Higher Powers) then say to us as Rilke said to a young poet, “I am so glad you are here. It helps me realize how beautiful my world is.”
To you, truth tellers and potential truth-tellers everywhere, can we continue to write with truth and justice, and represent people fairly so that our news might delight the heart of our loving Creator, who will surely be inspired to stop tuning into people loving their pets and want to tune into news of us loving humanity.
I warmly invite your thoughts: Where is God in the news industry?
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Claudia S. Gold is an author, poet, and blogger on Substack and Medium who appreciates people of integrity in the news industry.