The News Media

[SilverDNA]

@Ghogiel

It seams we had a slight misunderstanding here and I though clarification was needed, because if i would buy such an answer from the medias, I could be also talked into buying Aspirin for a for a teenage male menopause I haven't outgrown yet.

I didn't touch your remark about the medias because it is well trampled path to gain firm footing in this topic. ( thats why ididn't bother enough to expant it well enough. my fault and i apologize because i wanted to boldly make light in places of darkness)

[Vagrant0]

Actually, I was referring more to something similar to the Bystander Effect, or diffusion of responsibility:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_responsibility

 

Essentially that certain personalities are giving the impression that a cause is already being communicated to those in the power to do something about it, so individual action isn't needed. Sort of a conveying false sense of responsibility while echoing sentiments which might resonate with a certain group. People are less inclined to personally act towards a risky cause when that cause is something that appears to already be undertaken by someone you acknowledge as having a stronger voice. Rather than support the cause, you would instead support the person because that person is 'clearly' more capable at doing things properly.

 

The problem happens where these personalities only use the cause to feed their own ratings and viewership in a constant cycle of "new concerns", while never doing a damn thing towards solving old ones or getting any results... And people can't be bothered to call them on it because their own lives are so massively f***ed up and busy, and that "new concern" is just something else around the corner to stir their s*** up again. It's the cycle of fear, doubt, and nothing ever improving that the media has been feeding us constantly for well over 10 years now. People want answers, they want to feel like something is being done, but the media only cares about ratings, and law makers only care about getting re-elected. It's not that answers aren't there, it's that nobody in a position of power wants to take responsibility for them except for the purposes of fueling their own ego and leading people along.

[grannywils]

It would seem from what I am reading that Marshall McLuhan was indeed correct. (In all the permutations of his phrase). I'm sure we all know the phrase to which I refer...

 

And just for the record (for those of my friends who might have thought that my OP was in any way meant to have political connotations). My intent in bringing up this subject had to do with the media and it's devolution and nothing whatsoever to do with politics. The timing of it origination was merely coincidental. And although I quoted Mr. Agnew's remark, it was one that I found rather amusing at the time, and it was written by a man whom I admired greatly even though he was playing for the other team (also at the time).

[Beriallord]

I don't trust the established media any more than I do some random blog. They got 0 credibility with me. Everything seems politically motivated, or an effort to sway opinion one way or another about certain issues. Any information fed by the American media that pertains to the middle east is full of half truths and sometimes outright lies. The cable news network almost never speaks about their sources, and usually say "uncorroborated", but reports about it anyway because it happens to play into whatever agenda they are trying to forward. Not everyone picks things like that up. Even if it has multiple sources, you can't necessarily trust it. Fox News might break it based on an uncorroborated source, then 3 other media outlets might just post the same story without doing the research into whether its factual or not.

 

That being the case, how the hell do you find the facts? You either don't, or you have to dig really deep. Its easier for most people to just take their word for it, and base their opinions on these uncorroborated sources.

[grannywils]

Ok, Beriallord, I agree with what you have posted. Now do you have any opinion as to why and how this has happened?

 

I have several opinions (surprise, surprise!!!). But for the moment let us discuss our own role in this mess. i.e. the role of the population in general. It seems to me that many folks do choose the easy way out, as you stated in the last line of your post. Either that or they watch Entertainment Tonight (not sure if that is the correct name), and call that the "news".

 

Nowadays much of the populace just wants to be entertained, and have no real interest in what is happening in the world around them. However, when something goes wrong.... Oh baby, then they want to know who to blame and how come something wasn't done about it long before now.

 

For those who do think it is important enough to pay attention, and by pay attention, I mean sifting through all of those media sources until we can find some semblence of a fact, we usually get pooh poohed by many when we attempt to bring up potential pitfalls in present policy or when we suggest that the "news" as we hear it may not be all there is.

 

There are many erudite and well-informed members of these forums (or fora, if you must). However, I must say that one does not often encounter quite so many accomplished and astute members of society in everyday life. Maybe they do not have the time or the interest or the opportunity to learn what is going on. I'm not sure.

 

My point is that there is no simple answer for everyman. And everyman does not seem to care anymore. So In My Opinion : not only has he lost touch with what is really going on in the world, he has lost touch with his government, with corporate America, with any chance for a real education, with any opportunity to seriously better himself, and with what this Country was originally all about (if he even remembers or cares)

[HeyYou]

What I find truly sad is, I get more accurate news from John Stewart (a comedy show...) than I do from a 'real' news channel..... He is aware that mainstream media is feeding us their favorite line, and makes a good show out of it. It IS entertaining, in a sad kind of way..... but, it is also more informative than the likes of Fox, CNN, MSNBC, et. al.

 

George Carlin needs to be a news anchor..... unfortunately, he is dead..... I suppose though, still and all, he couldn't be any WORSE than what we have today. :D

[Harbringe]

Though the OP's intent was not to have this thread drift into a political context , when it comes to the dispensation of information those most focused on it are those of the corporate and political spheres as its the means of societal control. Its how they farm their livestock.

 

@Vagrant0 . What your talking about is the inculcation of allowance on a cultural level , its a sought after insidious goal of all those who hold the reigns of power , whatever the nature of that power may be (Corporate , Political , Religious etc )

 

Here is a documentary that speaks directly to this , its a remarkable piece of work.

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOygpfEl7nE&feature=related

[Vagrant0]

Here is a documentary that speaks directly to this , its a remarkable piece of work.

And yet nothing has been done. Many of the people interviewed there are part of groups that could do something to fix the system, they know the system is broken, but they don't do anything. It's like a sick form of irony. They are people who are in a position to do more than comment and inform about these problems, but they expect us to be the ones to solve them, or for things to just work themselves out on their own. Either you're an activist, or you're a journalist, you cannot play both roles.

[HeyYou]

Here is a documentary that speaks directly to this , its a remarkable piece of work.

And yet nothing has been done. Many of the people interviewed there are part of groups that could do something to fix the system, they know the system is broken, but they don't do anything. It's like a sick form of irony. They are people who are in a position to do more than comment and inform about these problems, but they expect us to be the ones to solve them, or for things to just work themselves out on their own. Either you're an activist, or you're a journalist, you cannot play both roles.

 

Mainly because the folks that are in a position to implement the necessary changes, profit the most from things staying exactly as they are. So, we get lip service to the 'issues', but, never any action toward fixing it. Why would anyone purposely wreck their own gravy train?

[Vagrant0]

Here is a documentary that speaks directly to this , its a remarkable piece of work.

And yet nothing has been done. Many of the people interviewed there are part of groups that could do something to fix the system, they know the system is broken, but they don't do anything. It's like a sick form of irony. They are people who are in a position to do more than comment and inform about these problems, but they expect us to be the ones to solve them, or for things to just work themselves out on their own. Either you're an activist, or you're a journalist, you cannot play both roles.

 

Mainly because the folks that are in a position to implement the necessary changes, profit the most from things staying exactly as they are. So, we get lip service to the 'issues', but, never any action toward fixing it. Why would anyone purposely wreck their own gravy train?

Because we face assured destruction otherwise.

 

When 75% of a country's infrastructure is already crumbling, you don't need terrorists, you don't need natural disasters, society can be brought to a grinding halt just because one place had too much strain. That is what happened with the massive blackouts along the East coast a few years back. We will likely face similar issues this year as about the only improvements made to the system were bandages over the most damaged sections. Most of the bridges in the country are deteriorating. Most of the water mains have cracks and aged sections that threaten to deprive whole cities of clean drinking water, and nothing is done until things have already broken.

 

Because we have a population who is frightened, doubtful of the future, and greatly distrustful of the government which exists to serve them. If left on the current path, there will be riots, there will be death and destruction, there will be people too fed up with the lies and who have nothing left to lose. Parts of Europe have already seen these erupt, but there has been almost no coverage of these being broadcast in the West. The tendency for politicians to simply stand idle while lining their pockets will only serve to add passion and validation to the rioters.

 

Something has to give, for all our sakes.