Things are rarely as they seem, and all the more so in the world of commercial news. There's always a reason for everything. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it's not, and sometimes it's deliberately concealed. If a story doesn't seem to make sense, it's probably because the rationales behind it are unknown.
That's my personal playground, trying to find those hidden rationales. Sometimes I'm a million miles off-base, but usually I get some of it right, and every once in a while, I manage to nail it. But regardless of how accurate it may be, I always find a great deal of satisfaction by coming up with explanations for events that make sense to me.
In approaching the plot, like a mystery writer, I try to start at the end of the story and work backwards, applying the motivations of the characters in ways that make sense to each of them. And like classic mystery novels, a seemingly irrational news story challenges us to use our finely-honed wits to solve the puzzle.
What could be more fun than that?
(Hmm, I think I'll add this blurb to my blog. Imal: private detective, mystery writer, adventurer... 8^)
ummm....now I'm worried - I comprehended everything you said.....more insight into how a good mind works. You have a new fan here even if we disagree about the worth of Al Jazeera. :o)