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A friend of mine recently returned from a week-long visit to Italy focusing primarily on Rome. Since Italy has been in the news a great deal in recent months (the scandals surrounding former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, rising unemployment, resentment over illegal immigrants, growing discontent with the government’s austerity budget, doomsday forecasts related to the debt, etc.), I asked her what life was like these days in the Eternal City.
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Are people unhappy? Are they protesting in the streets? Have Romans given up on seeking happiness amidst all the economic gloom and political infighting?
To the contrary, she replied, Rome is as beautiful and dynamic as ever with young people enjoying the piazzas and fountains; elegant elderly couples strolling in the parks and gardens; restaurants filled to the brim with happy gourmands; gorgeous churches and palaces around every corner; children happily playing soccer; and the sound of music everywhere.
That is, exactly as I remember Rome from my last visit there.
This is not to downplay the serious problems that Italy is undergoing now – joblessness, economic decay and racial tensions are no joke. However, it reminds me that what we see and hear depicted in mass media quite often is a very poor reflection of reality. One cannot truly grasp the true nature and texture of a foreign country or city unless one actually travels there and immerses oneself in the local lifestyle and culture.
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Yes, Italy is suffering from deep economic woes (like much of Europe), but life goes on… quite happily for the most part, and with much charm and grandeur even. Perhaps it is wise to remember that Italy is perpetually undergoing political crises and economic dislocations… and yet, the culture continues to flourish and inspire.
I recall when I visited Northern Ireland for the first time many years ago. My “image” of the place – which was shaped entirely by TV and newspaper reports, which invariably depicted Ulster as a very grim and dangerous place, beset by sectarian violence, terrorism and poverty.
But what did I find when I arrived in Belfast and later the surrounding countryside?
An incredibly beautiful, tranquil and pastoral Eden with a people whose charm and unique accent won me over completely. Northern Ireland (like Scotland and The Republic of Ireland itself) is a place of heart-stopping Gothic beauty.
Yes, many people are poor and there were political slogans on walls (mostly in favor of the Irish Republican Army). Yes, parts of Belfast are dangerous (as the worst parts of any city in the world are similarly dangerous) and Catholics and Protestants still have serious disputes.
But that’s not the whole picture.
Of course, mass media is in the business of generating interest by writing on stories about violence, crime, war, murder and other forms of sin and wrongdoing. This, in turn, feeds upon itself to the point where one type of negative story leads to dozens of similar stories by other outlets – thereby creating an image in the public’s consciousness that is very hard to erase.
Would any TV or newspaper reporter write a story that was headlined: “Northern Ireland Very Tranquil Today,” or “No Murders in Belfast on Monday” or “Protestant Boy Plays Soccer With Catholics; Kids Had Fun” (?)
Similarly, my first visit to the city of Chicago some years ago was also an eye-opener. Once again, based solely on distorted news reports, as well as sensationalistic TV shows and movies, I expected Chicago to be a giant welter of crime, poverty, despair and violence.
