Do you believe anything that the media says? Or is it all slanted propaganda to

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   iamjohngaltposted 11 years ago

   Do you believe anything that the media says? Or is it all slanted propaganda to further an agenda?
   
   With the cross pollination of media, such as TV news ads on the radio, newspaper ads on TV, and sensationalist news stories, is it possible to have an objective mainstream media source?

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   rickyliceaposted 11 years ago

   Anything? No.
   All slanted? No.
   You have to filter out the bias, the non-mainstream media is also biased and full of crazies and conspiracy theories.

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      iamjohngaltposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Right on. I guess I should of asked are there any truly objective news sources.

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   junksellerposted 11 years ago

   I think there is a difference between objectivity and bias. Objectivity is simply information that is based upon something factual or observable rather than opinions or feelings.
   
   If I am a hard left eco-warrior who publishes photographs of stream pollution from a mining operation am I biased? Sure, but the photos are still objective information. The mining operation is in fact polluting the river.
   
   The problem, to me, is that too many 'news' organizations really are more accurately entertainment organizations who care more about eliciting emotional reactions than they do in providing actual information. Rush Limbaugh, for instance, who might talk about Obama being a Nazi Communist Antichrist who wants to suck out your brains. On the other side, I think you could point to someone like Rachel Maddow, who also , in my opinion, is a bit too interested in emotionality versus information.
   
   What we really need to do is seek out information (regardless of bias) and then attempt to verify it via other sources. However, what most people seem to do is seek out opinions which reinforce whatever makes them feel good. That is why the main stream has become entertainers. It is what sells. The only main stream organization that I think produces decent information is NPR, but they are also the one which doesn't fully participate in the free market, so do not have to worry about making people feel good.
   
   At any rate, with today's technologies there isn't any reason to get information through the filter of institutional interests or to wait that long to get it. Just plug directly into the journalists or news providers you trust.

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   CHRIS57posted 11 years ago

   As my wife (from former USSR) used to say: "You westerners never learned to read between the lines".
   Yes, media is biased. That is not necessarily bad. But you have to know about it. The easiest way to improvement is to read, watch and listen to more than one source of information.

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   newcalendarposted 11 years ago

   Theres an old saying here, any story is good until another is told, if you do read a story and find it's differently slanted somewhere else in the middle is likely where you'll find some truth. It's like autobiographies, best to read one by the person, one by someone who hated them and one by someone who liked them. You get a much broader perspective.
   
   Except for the British tabloids, mostly lies!

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