Our problems? They're our fault

I USUALLY WRITE about what's not working.

You know, Congress, the Legislature, Philly schools.

Mostly I place fault with those in charge; all those in charge, regardless of party.

I do this in hopes that bringing attention to what's wrong can serve as motivation to make it right.

Sometimes that works.

Some years ago, I wrote about a decorated Pennsylvania State Police trooper whose wife and three children were denied death benefits after the trooper died of a heart attack on duty.

The denial was reversed, the benefits approved.

Sometime later, I wrote about a Pennsylvania family pushing a measure to increase funding for childhood-cancer research. It was stuck in the U.S. Senate and then-Sen. Arlen Specter wasn't supporting it.

Specter changed his mind, co-sponsored the bill. The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act became law.

Lately, though, I find little interest in fixing anything. And I think I know why.

It's because more is not working than ever before: the political system, civic engagement, social responsibility and often journalism, just to name a few malfunctions.

In this, the greater fault is broad-based, escalating and belongs to us all.

We are increasingly disconnected.

We have help, mind you.

There are distractions of multimedia, cultural influences emphasizing egocentric living, polarizing governance and growing economic classism fostering separation.

None of which is new.

More than a decade ago, Robert Putnam's groundbreaking, prophetic book, Bowling Alone, detailed a disconnected America. His research showed declining interest in public policy, civic groups, neighbors, even family dinners.

I'd argue that since its 2000 publication, things are worse.

A Gallup poll last month shows America's trust in "the American people" to make judgments about political issues is at an all-time low: 61 percent, down 17 points since 2005, down 25 points since 1976.

You're reading that right. We decreasingly trust ourselves.

Oh, and Gallup puts trust in the media at just 44 percent. So if you don't believe anything I'm offering here, you're not alone.

The easy target is technology and social media with its devilish dichotomy: more and quicker information but less context and substance.

A recent Harvard study of coverage of the 2012 presidential election quotes GOP strategist Mike Murphy talking about "Twitter journalism."

He says there's no filter or editor separating "the noise from the news. So the noise becomes the news."

The problem is the noise never stops while the news often does.

A gunman shoots up the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12, wounding eight, and the story and its implications last a few days.

A disturbed but unarmed woman tries to drive through a White House security fence and is shot and killed by police after a chase. Why deadly force? Where are follow-ups?

A Jersey man self-immolates on the National Mall after saluting the Capitol and later dies. What are we, Tibet? Who was he? Why did he do it?

Ellyn Angelotti teaches journalism as related to social media at the Poynter Institute in Florida.

"News today moves more quickly," she says. "Its audience is a more spastic community with a short attention span . . . to retain its interest is challenging."

Especially when media websites offer a story such as "Tax increase faces debate" right next to "The 25 hottest NFL cheerleaders," the latter with "slide show" art.

Walk any busy street, walk any mall or look around at traffic stopped at any red light. You've seen it. People are looking down at whatever tech device they have.

Billions are made by companies such as Facebook and Twitter that promote self-importance and truncated information, frequently of zero value.

If we get news, it's often in small bites that encourage (in my view) small thinking.

There are reasons so many things increasingly don't work.

The reasons, I'm afraid, are us.

Blog: ph.ly/BaerGrowls

Columns: ph.ly/JohnBaer