Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

Ustwo · 01-20-2008, 10:00 PM

Interesting but expected how many pick the news sources that match their ideological flavor.

Perhaps it should be better asked, 'Where do you go to hear what you want to hear about as news' because thats what it has become.

I've gone from a news junky to a 'did we bomb anyone and did anyone bomb us today' sort of caring. Dow Up Dow Down, teaches fucking their students, doom and gloom, blah blah blah. Oddly not much has changed in my life since I gave up my news junky nature, nor the world.

Being informed is great, everyone should be informed, but there is a limit to its usefulness and obviously in some its become unhealthy, the religion they are lacking.

When I find something that interests me intellectually or has some potential direct effect on my life, I use pretty much every source available.

The mainstream American press tends be a bit vapid and lacking in detail. On any technical story you can tell the person writing has very little knowledge of the subject matter, they were told the information, wrote it down, and made mistakes along the way. The European press seems a bit more detailed, willing to give longer explanations but the bias in the European press tends to be unabashed. I focus on the UK publications as they are oddly easier to read for me. If its political and in the Guardian, its going to be a left wing slant pretty much every time, at least when I've looked, likewise if its in the Telegraph, its going to be a right wing slant. There isn't the blurring of bias we demand in the US, its right in front of you there.

As such I try to find as many sources as I can (the power of google) and I'll even go into other forums and blogs. Often you can get better insight from someones blog or a university publication, than from the 'official' news.

But the key as always is to work out what makes sense, but not be so arrogant in your interpretation that there isn't wiggle room, you weren't there after all. In my limited dealings with the press in my life, I'm always amazed on just how wrong they get most of the stories I've been a first hand witness too. I have been given little faith that this trend isn't true to the industry as a whole. Sloth, incompetence, stupidity, and getting it in on time seem to be the golden rules, and they can find an "expert" to say just about anything so you can only trust yourself. Sadly some people shouldn't trust themselves so it can get complicated. Most of those people tend to post about their opinions on the news.

So for today, I don't know anything that happened in the world outside of who won the football games, I don't know where Britiny Spears is or what crazy thing she did, I don't know what little minority girl was left to freeze to death in Chicago somewhere by her mother, I don't know about just how horrible THIS cold spell was over the last one, and I feel fine.

When I need to know I can find it all a lot faster on my own, without the wise looking male anchor, the hot looking female one, the proper minority ratios in the news room, and with the ability to sift through the bias of the editor.

01-20-2008, 10:00 PM	#23 (permalink)
Ustwo Pissing in the cornflakes	Interesting but expected how many pick the news sources that match their ideological flavor. Perhaps it should be better asked, 'Where do you go to hear what you want to hear about as news' because thats what it has become. I've gone from a news junky to a 'did we bomb anyone and did anyone bomb us today' sort of caring. Dow Up Dow Down, teaches fucking their students, doom and gloom, blah blah blah. Oddly not much has changed in my life since I gave up my news junky nature, nor the world. Being informed is great, everyone should be informed, but there is a limit to its usefulness and obviously in some its become unhealthy, the religion they are lacking. When I find something that interests me intellectually or has some potential direct effect on my life, I use pretty much every source available. The mainstream American press tends be a bit vapid and lacking in detail. On any technical story you can tell the person writing has very little knowledge of the subject matter, they were told the information, wrote it down, and made mistakes along the way. The European press seems a bit more detailed, willing to give longer explanations but the bias in the European press tends to be unabashed. I focus on the UK publications as they are oddly easier to read for me. If its political and in the Guardian, its going to be a left wing slant pretty much every time, at least when I've looked, likewise if its in the Telegraph, its going to be a right wing slant. There isn't the blurring of bias we demand in the US, its right in front of you there. As such I try to find as many sources as I can (the power of google) and I'll even go into other forums and blogs. Often you can get better insight from someones blog or a university publication, than from the 'official' news. But the key as always is to work out what makes sense, but not be so arrogant in your interpretation that there isn't wiggle room, you weren't there after all. In my limited dealings with the press in my life, I'm always amazed on just how wrong they get most of the stories I've been a first hand witness too. I have been given little faith that this trend isn't true to the industry as a whole. Sloth, incompetence, stupidity, and getting it in on time seem to be the golden rules, and they can find an "expert" to say just about anything so you can only trust yourself. Sadly some people shouldn't trust themselves so it can get complicated. Most of those people tend to post about their opinions on the news. So for today, I don't know anything that happened in the world outside of who won the football games, I don't know where Britiny Spears is or what crazy thing she did, I don't know what little minority girl was left to freeze to death in Chicago somewhere by her mother, I don't know about just how horrible THIS cold spell was over the last one, and I feel fine. When I need to know I can find it all a lot faster on my own, without the wise looking male anchor, the hot looking female one, the proper minority ratios in the news room, and with the ability to sift through the bias of the editor. __________________ Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.