How The Media Can Change The Thrust Of A Person's Message By Omission

Here is an update from a friend, Melinda Rembert Wells. For several years Melinda has had an ongoing fight against a rare and complicated tumor in her brain. Today she is doing well.

I thought her post on Caring Bridge about how the media (At least the Dallas Morning News in this case) can totally change the thrust of a person's message by omission is very informative. It should make us question everything we read - at least check other sources. Melinda is doing very well and her post clearly tells you who she believes is responsible.

TPE3

Melinda's post from Caring Bridge:

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 3:43 PM, CDT

There was an article in the Dallas Morning News today about people who use social-networking sites, such as Caring Bridge, to communicate with friends & family about their health status. This is an article that I was interviewed for, and I was quoted and pictured in it. If you want to read it, you can find it at this link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/healthyliving2/stories/082310dnliv-social-networking-for-cancer-patients.8209e53a.html (The pictures are only shown in the print newspaper, not on-line.)

Overall, I was disappointed in the article. The reporter got a lot of details about my diagnosis/treatment incorrect (which is not a big deal to me), but what is a big deal to me is that all of my references to the Lord were erased. When I was contacted by the reporter a couple of months ago, I agreed to the interview only because I thought it would be a great opportunity to share my faith in Jesus Christ and proclaim His name. Unfortunately, the reporter chose to ‘edit out’ all of my references to the Lord. From my perspective, you cannot accurately tell the story of any aspect of my cancer journey (or my life) without mentioning the Lord. So, I’m sad that the reporter, and now the readers, don’t understand the central theme of my story – Jesus Christ.

Moreover, I feel that the reporter completely misrepresented me when she said in her article, "Melinda Wells searched the internet for inspiration." What?! Are you kidding me? I search the Bible for inspiration, and I turn to the internet to facilitate communication with my friends and family – a BIG difference. I truly do not understand how the reporter could make that statement after interviewing me for two hours. Can I demand a retraction? Is this how politicians feel when they read what people say about them in the papers? (Shout out to George W. – we don’t believe any of the nonsense that was written about you in the media. We love that you moved home to Dallas, and we so appreciate your sacrificial service to our country!)

The one thing that thrilled me about the article was the close-up, color picture of the artwork that my friends’ children created for me when I was in the hospital. I have them all hanging up on my wall at home, and the photographer captured a close-up of three pictures. I was so thrilled to call my friend, Amy, and tell her that the drawing that her triplet 6-year-old boys drew for me of the SuperBowl teams was printed in the newspaper! And also my friend, Jen, has a five-year-old boy whose creative interpretation of the appearance of my hospital room was included in the close-up picture, too. So fun! I quickly told the moms to go out and buy a paper, so that they can show the kids their artwork printed in the paper! I can’t wait to hear how they react!

In the end, I'm sure that the reporter didn't intend to make me feel misrepresented. It was an article about Caring Bridge, not an article about me. But obviously my experience with Caring Bridge is a result of my cancer journey, which I feel cannot be told accurately without some reference to the Lord. And I do not think that I could have used the words, "the Lord", more often in the interview. She just chose to omit what I think is of utmost importance. Apparently, she (or the editor) felt otherwise. In closing, I hope that this article in the newspaper will inform many people about the Caring Bridge website, how it can facilitate communication, prayer, and encouragement between the one who is ill and their network of friends, family, and even strangers that are praying for them.

And maybe, someone who reads the article will search for my name on the Caring Bridge website and find my blog that tells the real story of my cancer journey. As it says on the top of the blog:

"…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11

All glory to the Lord,

Melinda