If we assume the best in people, we can radically redesign our democracy and welfare states.
Rutger BregmanRead
So I think that good journalism helps you to zoom out, to focus on the structural forces that govern our lives. And I think that good journalism is also not only about the problems, but also about the solutions, and the people who are working on these solutions.
Interpretation
Good journalism provides a broader perspective on societal issues and highlights both challenges and solutions.
In this quote, Rutger Bregman emphasizes the role of journalism as not merely a tool for reporting problems but as a means to gain a deeper understanding of the systemic forces that shape human existence. It advocates for journalism that not only identifies issues but also tells the stories of those actively seeking solutions, thereby encouraging a more informed and engaged public.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of media literacy, one might use this quote to highlight the positive role of journalism in society.
If we assume the best in people, we can radically redesign our democracy and welfare states.
Since long workdays lead to more errors, shorter workdays could reduce accidents. Overtime is deadly. Tired surgeons have been found to be more prone to slip'ups, and soldiers who get too little shuteye are more prone to miss targets.
My hope is that the corona crisis will help bring us into a new age of cooperation and solidarity and a realization that we're in this together.
This is what a crisis does: It makes you question the status quo. That doesn't mean that after a crisis we move into some kind of utopia. But it is an opportunity for political change.
While it won't solve all the world's ills - and ideas such as a rent cap and more social housing are necessary in places where housing is scarce - a basic income would work like venture capital for the people.
Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and generals. That we can trust people to govern themselves and make their own decisions.
Why is it that when we had rotary phones, when we were having folks being crippled by polio, that we were teaching the same way then that we're doing right now?
I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes.
The only important thing in a book is the meaning that it has for you.
The visions we offer our children shape the future. It _matters_ what those visions are. Often they become self-fulfilling prophecies. Dreams are maps.
If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children.
Young people are constantly absorbing - through media, textbooks, and policy - the myths of American exceptionalism; for black children, this means that what they are taught in class does not match the world that they navigate daily.
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