Is Tiger News Really News?

I’m fascinated by the Tiger Woods story, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

Yes, from a news standpoint, there isn’t much here of global consequence: Man cheats on wife.  (Save headline for future use.)

But Tiger’s story has enough classic themes and elements to keep a graveyard full of Greek tragedians busy – avarice, lust, irony, pathos, comedy, etc.

Sometimes the job of news is more than transmitting information. News is our global commons. We go there to find out what’s going on, and figure out what it has to do with us.

Tiger’s story, though not strictly speaking “important,” gives us much to ponder that is important: What is the real meaning of success? Is anyone’s life truly to be envied? What does it mean to be a role model or hero?

In that sense, the Tiger Woods story has a lot to say, if we listen in the right way.

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