I have a story.
My grandmother may the most politically and events apathetic person conceivable.
This is a woman who is 92 years old, has never voted, has no sense of geography, and, though very traveled around the world, has focused purely on what kind of knickknacks she can bring back to the US rather than capture a brief instance of the culture surrounding her.
Mind you, this is a grandmother with whom I lived as a child when my mother couldn't afford my upkeep during the tough times of the 70s. I love my grandmother and have a relationship with her that many people don't often have with their grandparents (in the US, at least).
Anyway, my mom just bought her a TV. It was a Christmas present. Primarily, the goal was to give her access to the Lawrence Welk Show.
My first surprise was a call from my grandmother to talk about the invasion of Gaza by Israel just before Obama's inauguration.
We discussed why they invaded, what they hoped to get out of it, how many Palestinians had been hurt or killed, and, who Hamas was.
So, that was just one instance.
But, today, my mom related to me another discussion she'd just had having watched the news around Obama attempting to close Guantanamo Bay down.
Again, the same kind of questions as before. What do we have prisoners there for, why would Bush not want those people to come to trial....etc.
So, I know that this is a sample set of 1, but, television has broadened the horizon of my grandmother and I'm glad for it.
