History had been man's effort to accomodate himself to what he could not do. Amereican history in the 20th century would, more than ever before, test man's ability to accomodate himself to all the new things he could do.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
We need not be theologians to see that we have shifted responsibility for making the world interesting from God to the newspaperman.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how society has transferred the duty of shaping our understanding of the world from divine sources to journalists.
Daniel J. Boorstin's quote examines the transition of responsibility for interpreting and engaging with the world from a religious or divine perspective to that of the media, specifically newspapers. This shift suggests that our perceptions of reality are now heavily influenced by the narratives crafted by journalists, indicating a cultural move away from faith-based interpretations towards a more secular, media-driven understanding of events and ideas.
Themes
ResponsibilityMediaJournalismPerceptionSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on the impact of media on public opinion, I would reference Boorstin's quote to highlight the changing dynamics of information dissemination.
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Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary. Knowledge is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion.
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There was a time when the reader of an unexciting newspaper would remark, 'How dull is the world today!' Nowadays he says, 'What a dull newspaper!'
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