The Giant Movie Screen

Summary

The article reflects on the evolution of media, from the use of newsreels in movie theaters during World War II to today's ubiquitous access to news through various forms of technology, questioning our ability to distinguish between real and contrived events.

Abstract

The text contrasts the historical reliance on newsreels shown in cinemas to inform the public about World War II with the current era's omnipresent news media. It emphasizes that while past newsreels presented unaltered footage, today's technology allows for sophisticated manipulation of visual content, making it challenging to differentiate between genuine news and fabricated or enhanced images designed for entertainment. The article prompts readers to consider the implications of this evolution on our perception of reality and the importance of discernment in the digital age.

Opinions

The author suggests that the intention behind showing newsreels during World War II was to foster patriotism and support for the American involvement in the war.
There is an underlying implication that the prevalence of technology in media has led to a blurring of lines between authentic news coverage and entertainment, potentially impacting our understanding of global events.
The article raises skepticism about the audience's ability to critically assess the authenticity of what they see and hear in the news, given the advanced technological 'tricks' used for realism.
It challenges the age-old adage "Seeing is believing" in the context of modern media, implying that visual and oral representations may not always reflect true events.
The author concludes with a rhetorical question about the reader's own discernment, subtly urging them to be more critical and questioning of the information presented to them through media.

of the World . . .

The world today has one giant movie screen that controls our perception of what is taking place throughout the world.

In the olden days of World War II, we were kept informed about the events of the war taking place in distant parts of the world by going to the local movie theater to see a major film, a minor film, and a Newsreel.

The Newsreel showed specially selected clips of these world events exactly as they were happening. Remember, there was no technology like we have today to make them appear as anything other than what they actually were.

The whole idea was to engender patriotism and pride in the American dream to be a part of ‘the war to end all wars’… forever!

— (Of course many forms of ages-old strife between other countries continued to rage, but there was little news to make us aware of these small regional civil wars.) —

How different is the world of great technology today!

Our giant world screen now acts not much differently from the large screen in the movie theaters, except that we also now watch the current Newsreel at home on TV, in restaurants on mobiles . . . even in our moving transportation!

The violence that we see in these forms is not much different from what we see in a contrived movie on the screen in the theater. . . with the many technological ‘tricks’ for realism available and freely used for credibility.

Are we able to discern actual visual and oral representation of events from the technologically contrived events shown on the movie screen for our ‘pleasure’?

Just remember these two statements:

Seeing is believing. . . not necessarily! and . . . Things are not always as they seem!

Thank you for reading! . . . How is your discernment?