You turn on the TV and see a scene on every channel: two politicians facing each other to discuss the most important issue of the day: the weather.
It's not just a conversation about meteorology; it's a battle of the titans over the truth of the black cloud that's looming over the capital. It's a battle to dispel the fog. A battle for the truth.
“Qamet!” the opposition representative shouts in a voice that rings like thunder. The audience in the studio shivers. “Rain, storm, flood! These are the consequences of your incompetent government that has not made any investment in sewerage because it has channeled all the funds into the pockets of the government officials.”
“What flood are you talking about?” the government representative reacts, shaking his head contemptuously. “The sun is shining and people, believe it or not, are on the beach! You are the ones who are making up storms in a glass of water to scare the people!” You are the ones who are being consumed by anger because when these people were in power, not even the sun came out.
The debate heats up. Graphics from last year's floods appear on the screen, interspersed with promises of investment...
Meanwhile, the moderator, the one who should be the messenger of truth, stands in the middle with a philosophical expression on his face, shaking his head as if he had just discovered the meaning of life. "Balance! It's important to have both sides and above all, we need a debate.
One question remains: Why doesn't someone come out the window and see what the weather is like?
Imagine if the moderator got up from the table, reached the studio window and… opened it! The driving rain entered the studio, soaking the entire stage and causing the government representative to lower his head like a child with jam on his fingers. Or, if the sunlight were to come in through the window, the opposition representative would look like a toddler who realizes for the first time that Santa Claus does not exist.
But no. That doesn't happen. Instead, the moderator returns to the "balance" so that the debate can continue without end. This, of course, guarantees that both sides will have the opportunity to come back to the same studio to discuss whether the Earth is round or flat; or to give an exhaustive answer to the question: is today Wednesday? People follow the "debate" and are not sure whether they should bring sunscreen or an umbrella against the rain.
Because, in the end, the media's job is not to inform the public, but to entertain them with the spectacle of debates without bread. And in this spectacle, the window remains closed along with the hope of verification. And the certainty is that if people don't drown from the rain, they will drown from misinformation.
PS PS says that Venice proved us right. DP says that Venice proved us right. The journalist says that Venice has proven the SP and the DP right.