This from the DNA in “Why are we comfortably numb in a violent decade?” on violence in media and on whether it numbs us.

It starts with a ‘quote’

‘Violence repels us but violence also attracts us;
Violence alarms us but violence also entertains us;
Violence destroys us but violence also protects us.’

The above lines are taken from a report by the World Council of Journalism and epitomise the times we live in today.

Guess what, the World Council of Journalism doesn’t exist, except in an article by the DNA. What made me google it - well, something about ‘council’ set off my alarm bells. Councils govern. and no self respecting journalist ought to be a member of a council. An association yes, a club yes. a council …. i seriously don’t know.

So I googled the quote - the bit on violence attracting & entertaining. there is one source for the entire quote - A Book called “Art therapy and Political Violence” and the quote is attributed to the World Council of Churches.

It is possible that the World Council of Journalism exists in a ramshackled old shed somewhere and doesn’t have an online presence. In which case, I apologise. But, i have this terrible feeling that a source has been manufactured and not very intelligently.

The piece contains other gems such as:

Even music, the medium of Beethoven and Chaurasia has mot been spared the lyrics of bloody mayhem. Genres like death metal, and to an extent hip hop have used violence to lure the youth to their corners.

Ahem, music is not a medium. sound is. air waves are. radio is. music is an art form.

Tags: dna, India, Media, newspapers