Editorial July 23, 2018 Issue

Reacting to headlines?

Russ Gerber

Speculation about trade wars dominated the morning headlines. Within hours a massive sell-off caused a major stock indicator to tumble over five hundred points. The next day, fear of trade wars subsided, and the economy roared back into the news, this time because of an equally fast and robust recovery. This roller coaster ride continued, playing itself out over the following weeks.

A financial reporter asked one of the analysts on the floor of the stock exchange to explain the dramatic swings. “We’re running on a lot of headlines,” he said. Emotion and fear were driving things.

His comment seems fitting on more fronts than just the economy. From the constant flow of headlines that exaggerate and sensationalize everyday life, it would seem that today’s world has never been in worse shape. With the ability to access news so quickly and simply, it’s a good idea to ask ourselves: Are we “running on a lot of headlines”?

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Bible Lens—July 23–29, 2018