WILL ROGERS SYNDROME

"All I know is what I read in the papers" – Will Rogers

Will Rogers was many things. Remembered today largely as a speaker of homespun wisdom and a precursor to the modern standup comic, he was also a Vaudeville performer, a radio star, a motion picture actor, and a newspaper columnist.

At the U.S. Capitol, each state has two people represented by statues in the National Statutory Hall. Although some choices could be considered dubious, giants of American history such as George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, Sam Houston, Ronald Reagan, and Roger Williams are included. One of the Oklahomans represented is Will Rogers.

(Technically, Rogers wasn’t born in Oklahoma. A Cherokee citizen, he was born in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, 33 years before that territory earned statehood and became Oklahoma.)

Many of Rogers’ sayings are truly timeless. (“I don’t belong to any organized political party. I am a Democrat.”) However, the quote headlining this essay, which Rogers used to open many of his talks, has a flaw that must be acknowledged.

One quality that helps information get in the papers – that makes it “news” - is whether it’s unusual.

The textbook example is “man bites dog.” “Dog bites man” is not news; that happens all the time. “SUN RISES IN EAST” won’t sell a paper; “PACIFIC OCEAN IS DEEP” won’t sell a paper, and neither will “DOG BITES MAN.”.

“MAN BITES DOG” is unusual. THAT will sell a newspaper.

(Or, in today’s World Wide Web vernacular, “MAN BITES DOG” will get a “click.” As an aside, knowing what I now know about Will Rogers, I believe if he were alive today, he would be a FORCE on social media.)

From here, the potential hazards are apparent. True, most people have enough background in life to appreciate that a dog biting a person will happen from time to time. This is why it grabs your attention if a person bites a dog. However, what if the context is NOT such a universally familiar subject as Man’s Best Friend? What if the reader does not have a baseline to judge whether the headline is unusual?

What if, considering the subject at hand, all you know is what you read in the papers? What if you decide (consciously or not) that something you learn isn’t unusual – because all you know is what you read in the papers?

Then, my friend, you’re suffering from what I call Will Rogers Syndrome.

Hey, it’s hit me too. Growing up in San Antonio, I saw newscasts where the highlights of hockey games only showed the fights. I wasn’t interested. I’m still not, even though I’m conscious of the fact that there was plenty of action in hockey that WASN’T fights, and there are fewer fights in hockey games than ever. That initial impression from my youth is still hard to shake.

The 24-hour news cycle and social media certainly don’t help. News networks can play an unending loop of That Unusual Event until you’re numbed into believing that’s all that happens. It’s even worse in matters of life and death, where anyone with a soul is moved by a tragedy. Unending coverage of a school shooting, for example, presents a particular challenge. Each death is a tragedy. Each death is a lost loved one, leaving hurt that will be felt by survivors for generations to come. It is not acceptable to say, “well, that stuff just happens.” We are moved to respond, to examine the circumstance and ponder how to prevent such a thing from happening again.

But it doesn’t mean that most schools are unsafe.

As we examine issues that present themselves, it is important to consider that which is not being shown. Is the incident being examined truly representative of the whole, or is it an exception that demands attention but not overreaction? More importantly, are the people depicted truly representative of a large group?

When you hear about a pastor dying of covid-19 after insisting on holding church services in the face of a pandemic, consider that most churches kept their sanctuaries closed. In the face of the coronavirus, most houses of worship exhorted their members to stay safe and observe social distancing, conducting services online if possible, and declining to put the Lord to a foolish test.

When you hear about terrorists committing evil acts “in the name of Allah,” consider that there are millions of Muslims in Indonesia and India (and Saudi Arabia) who do no harm whatsoever.

Do be informed. Do be curious. Do keep up with current events, and the decision makers that drive them.

And while you do, guard yourself against Will Rogers Syndrome.