Black Swan

For many years, the existence of a black swan was viewed to be something of a myth - like a unicorn. Nowadays, however, such a creature does exist though they are definitely not your garden-variety swan. But there is a black swan that is much more common these days: it is an occurrence viewed as a surprise that has impact and one that man comes up with an explanation to give its existence some sort of rationale. One example might be the emergence of Donald Trump as the current front runner to win the Republican Party's nomination for President. Reasons for his rise continue to be put forth by experts and non-experts alike.

In the communication world, there is a black swan that, metaphorically, has been swimming up and down waterways for years now. Niche journalism. This is reporting that is carried out with a particular bias toward a definite political perspective. Nowadays, Fox News is the hands-down champion of this type of reporting. Many talk radio programs representing both sides of the political spectrum fall under this umbrella as well. In terms of why these practitioners of niche journalism exist, it is to provide subscribers of a certain political bent with an outlet to where their views, opinions, etc. can be reinforced.

The problem with this move away from the more traditional form of objective reporting is that it contributes to the great divide in our country where more and more folks claim to not even to talk with those who see the world definitely than they do. The result is a growing communication gap that makes collaboration and consensus more difficult to achieve. Such a reality fosters intolerance. Intolerance is the enemy of effective communication. These days I find myself wrestling with the challenge of how we as a society can rid ourselves of this particular black swan. Any suggestions would be most welcomed.