An Insular Society by Choice?

      In case you missed it, Mo Farah is apparently new to running, or at least that's the word in America. The gaffee last week by a local news presenter perfectly illustrates the insular attitude so common in the states. One can forgive a farmer working under the regime of Kim Jong Un who may be unfamiliar with world events, but in a twenty-first century western nation, can there be any excuse for ignorance? It isn't difficult to find people who can describe in detail everything that happened last week on the latest reality show, but discovering someone who can find Iran on a map, who can tell you what is going on in Congress, or in this case, who can simply conduct a bit of research before the broadcast is rare, indeed. To be fair, many in America probably cannot name any three of thier own gold medalists, let alone those form outside the US.
     By complacency or indifference, are Americans not willfully wasting the hard-won gift of the free press and if that is so, how far behind is the decline of quality American journalism?

"Novice" Runner Mo Farah's Interview.

Jaywalking segment with Jay Leno:

 Chris Morrow, an Australian comic used to conduct similar man-on-the-street interviews on the satirical program CNNNN, tapped into the same vein of comedy gold.

    
For further reading:
   
The Insular American

A Free Press Isn't Free

Reporters Without Borders