Since graduating from college, I have worked at a travel company that specializes in handling trips to Korea. Sometimes I can¡¯t help feeling that we are too sensitive to the news from the media such as television.

On one hand, a lot of Japanese aunts have taken trips to South Korea to see the film locations of Korean dramas such as ¡±Fuyu no Sonata (Winter Song).¡± Many people have also wanted to go shopping to take advantage of the yen¡¯s appreciation. Yet, many people recently have decided to cancel their trips because of the fear of A-type H1N1 influenza, despite the fact that few people in Korea have been infected with the illness.

I can¡¯t stop thinking how necessary it is for us not to swallow excess media information. We must do a better job of judging it correctly and choosing what is necessary from it.

hiroshi ando