It isn't news!

It isn't news.  It isn't even factual.  It is, however, a humorous illustration of media editorial practices.

The CNN Health article suggests that husbands who share household chores have sex less frequently than husbands who stick with the traditional role. 

In fact, they say that there are three categories regarding husbands, chores, and sex.

• Husbands who don't do chores.  Most sex.
• Husbands who don't do girly chores.  Middle.
• Husbands who share doing chores.  Least sex.

And they say they're going to tell you why!  They don't.  If you'd like, you can read the article and draw your own conclusions, but you'll want to note a couple of things.

(1) the article is written to attract and perhaps hold an audience, not inform, and (2) the report behind their article doesn't actually support the headline.  There are conflicting studies, conflicting interpretations of the data, and a variety of unaddressed influences.

Much of what we're offered in these venues isn't news.  Often, it seems headlines and soundbites are not journalism, and they (the legitimate journalists themselves) may be disappearing.


Simplistic presentations of semi-sensational information (it's about SEX!) are perhaps revealing about news media in general.  The major players appear more concerned with ratings than with relevance or accuracy.  Entertainment rules.  Attempts at objectivity and balance are short-lived.

The media (and the administration, interestingly)  responded to the recent school mass shooting by joining the popular focus on gun control.  They do know better.  After Columbine, the father of two victims addressed a congressional subcommittee on the cause and solution.

Darrell Scott, father of 2 Columbine victims, speaks to Congress
May 27. 1999
Mr. Scott lost his daughter, his son is recovering.

"Since the dawn of creation, there has been both good and evil in the hearts of men and women, and we all contain those seeds: We contain the seeds of kindness and we contain the seeds of violence. And the death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joyce Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other 11 children who died, must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. 

The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used ... the true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in his heart. In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA, I am not a hunter, I do not even own a gun, I'm not here to represent or to defend the NRA, because I don't believe they are responsible for my daughter's death, therefore I don't believe they need to be defended by me. If I believed that they had anything to do with Rachel's murder, I would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a  tragedy; it was a spiritual event which should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies. Much of that blame lies here in this room - much of that blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves."

Mr. Scott goes on to say with clarity that guns are not the problem and gun control is not the solution.  The problem is a heart problem, not a law problem.   Neither the media nor the administration have yet risen to the larger issues or to acknowledged their shortsightedness.  Joe Biden admitted yesterday, "Nothing we're going to do is going to fundamentally alter or eliminate the possibility of another mass shooting ...," Biden told reporters.   We all knew that.  It's strangely quiet on the real issues.

Addressing the root causes remains 'out of bounds' for both the administration and the media.  There are no headlines about our cultural departure from character and grace, from fairness and honesty, from love and compassion.  From godliness, perhaps.  So who's left?  You, me, and perhaps the church, I suppose.  Meanwhile in the media ...  the debate over 'not the problem' gun control.

When they tell you it's 'THE NEWS', it probably isn't.  Just diversions.