PAGE 10
arts and culture
Road House: the stakes have never been lower
DANIEL STYLER
Staff Writer
HOW DO YOU interpret international news
that you watch on TV or read in the newspaper?
Yes, of course, you do interpret them, even
though it may be unconscious. Even journalists
interpret the facts before informing the world
about them. Thinking about journalists as
independent may be utopic, even though I like
to believe that some actually are. One needs to
remember most if not all journalists have a boss
that gives directives on what to publish or not,
what to show or not. Therefore, what you see
in the media is suggestive information; it’s only
what X or Y wants you to see and they present
it as the truth. Is there a truth? If yes, is there
only one? It is the job of politicians to make you
think that there is only one truth: theirs. When
I refer to “politicians”, I mean every person that
is related, in some way, to politics. That’s what
journalists are as well.
I may blame them now, because it’s easy for
me: I’m a law student full of very good intentions and fighting for freedom of thought and
expression. However, I understand them as well
and will likely understand them even better
when I am in the work market. At some point,
I guess, unfortunately, you need to balance
the importance of your beliefs with earning a
living. The choice may be easy when you have a
family waiting for you at home.
Nevertheless, we must be careful about how
we deal with information. Everyone is biased
in some way. But you can choose to open your
mind to different versions of the same story. We
hear everyday in the news about conflicts and
wars and how each party is dealing with them.
But who is behind this specific news channel?
Who collected the information and who then
decided to show those particular facts and not
others?
I may sound a bit irritated, and I have my
reasons. I am originally from Serbia. However,
I was born in Switzerland. Therefore, I may be
biased about the Balkan wars, but at the same
time I’ve gained some neutrality from my native
country as well. Moreover, I studied public
international law, which gave me a third version
of the whole story. If I tend to defend Serbs, that
would be because I’ve heard much more from
them than from other sides (Bosnians, Croats,
United States). At the same time, I heard, and
am s F????V&??r?F?BvR&RF?R( ?&N( ???W2?vP?F?BWfW'?F???rw&??r?BvRFW6W'fR??F?@??V?VBF?W2?v?W&^( ?2F?RG'WF???&V?WfR?N( ?0???&WGvVV???bvR6?WfV?&WFV?BF?&V6??B????6??f?7B?226???R2&V??r&?6??"v??FR??vR?VVBF?F????gW'F?W"?BFVWW"F??v?@????F????fV?&W"??#2 ???F?R?VF?v?G2W2F?6VR?FWV?F??rg&??v??6????B?bf?Wr??R????B6?GVF??????W ?6??6?W6???2??&RF?F??F?ffW&V?B??F?R7?&??6??f?7B&Vf?V7G2F??2&V?G?0?vV?????R6VR??RfW'6?????F?R?VF??'WB?`???R??fW7F?vFR&?B??&R?F?W&R&RF??2?b6??G&?fW'6?W2&?WBv??6?6?V?G'??27W?'F??p?F?R&V&V?2?Bv??6???W2&Rv?F?F?Rv?fW&??V?B??B?WB?F?R?VF??BF?RT?6?F?@?F?R??FW&?F????6???V??G?6??V?B??FW'fV?P???7?&??'WBv^( ?&R?&VG?F?W&Rv^( ?&R?W7B&WFV?F??r??BF?&R?v???R7GV??&V??r&V???@??F?R66V?W2?'?F?Rv??v??( ?2F?R??FW&?F?????6???V??G??Bv??FVf??W2?C?F?RT??v?F???G2f?fR6V7W&?G?6?V?6???V?&W'3???( ???'f??W6?6??gW6VB?B?( ??6???p??6V?b??F?Rf?&V?V?F???VBVW7F???2???W7@?G'V?&V?WfRF?BWfW'???R6??V?B??RF?V? ??v???????&?WBv?N( ?2?V???r???W ?v?&?B?6??RV??RF??( ?B6&R?BF?N( ?2f??R??'WBWfV??b??RF??( ?B?F???B??R6??6?W6???0????g&??v?B??^( ?fR6VV???6R??Eb&?W@?F??26?V?G'?&??&&F??r??F?W"??R?B??p??B?W7B&R??'&?&?Rf?"F?R?GFW"?E$?4?5t??R??$?B??U4R?v?&?B?6?72?v?&?Gv?FP?6?FRg&??&V??r'B?bG'V???FW&?F?????Vv??9?&????^( ???&V?^?9?Bg&??&7F?6????G2????W?W&?V?6R?BW??7W&RF?f&??W2&V2?b&7F?6R??r&?V?BF?Rv?&?@?F?V??'F??&?6VgV?'&?v?FF?ffW&V?6R?6???F?R?&?FW"F?7F???