英文短篇故事（纽约）448 How Important Is "The News"?

Daniel was watching the TV news with his daughter. A "white guy on the loose" had stabbed 14 people. Daniel said, "You know, every day we see or read about many events that mean nothing to us personally. For example, perhaps the biggest news story in my life was 'man steps on the moon.' But that news didn't affect my life one bit. So, what was the importance of it to me? Nada. Zilch." His daughter said, "But news about Hurricane Sandy helped us prepare for it. That was important." Daniel said, "Yes, it was. But strictly speaking, that wasn't news—it was the weather. The weather does affect us personally. It is important. But news has little value except as entertainment. It's something to talk about. It's not personal. Media news is about what happens to others. For us, its major importance is to satisfy our need to gossip."