... well spoken.

perhaps its not just "major medias" problem. its OUR (or those masses who follow major media) problem.

nevesis

good point. and in fact, terrorism would probably almost cease to exist if it weren't for the media. y'know, 'if you air it, they will watch.'

I haven't found an outlet yet that actually reports news. Ratings, sensationalism and drama.

The "news" wants to tell people that they are in danger. In fact, people want to be told that, apparently. Then the "news" tells us how to avoid that danger.

Yesterday was an eye-opener for me. I had a 24 hour news channel on, and a headline showed up. "Vampires among us?" That was it for me. I won't watch any more.

Well, yeah, static facts vs. a moving target.

Is this gonna be one of them threads where everyone is in agreement but nobody notices and keeps arguing?

Oh, sure, they'll report on vampires, but not on the aliens living underneath the Denver Airport. Figures. Damn liberal media!

It seems that he gets his news from FARK

And the things that we fear
Are a weapon to be held against us...

To a philosopher all news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea.

--Henry David Thoreau

Now that makes me smile. Things really haven't changed that much in 150 years, looks like...

The reason why the TV media sucks is because the news is no longer seen as a public service of the broadcaster but as a potential profit outlet like any other show on TV. Because of this TV news has been slowly degrading into a sensationalist shadow of its past self. "Bad News" is replaced by Puff Pieces that will not attract claims of bias and will not turn off viewers.

As a result very little hard news makes it to TV news... its all been replaced by celebrity trials, twenty-four hour sensationalist news coverage, and puff piece distractions.

A couple months back I started a thread about this very subject of BS news. There was a flood of support, people saying they were tired of this kind of news and would complain, or visit a web site focused on it.

So
That's Not News was born. Fellow TFers have done a lot to shape this and it's not quite there yet, but it will be soon. The plan is to offer underreported news, along side the BS news, with ways to share your opinions with the reporters. Check out the site and see what you can contribute.

MuppetPastor: a headline showed up. "Vampires among us?"

AAAAAUUUUUGH!!

/runs to find some garlic

Code has it. Owns it. Hit it like it's begging for it.

Something wants me to believe the writer of this article has a Fark account. He'd fit in well here.

batchild

How much do I have to beg for an invite code to "That's Not News"?

gmail me (in profile).... when I can get hold of the designer guy I'll get it taken off.

So how long will these guys drone on and on about how the stories that are getting covered are not news?

And I know the excat opposite.

What's he been reading/watching?

Ditto.

I know all about the Canadian government's recent budget passing, gay marriage ruling, current BC provincial legislature happenings, the current situation in Iraq (although I realize we have different interpretations of that incoming data), the current goings on in Afghanistan, I've moderately followed the social security revamping debate (although it doesn't affect me) etc etc etc.

I don't know much about the chick missing in Aruba, the big history or the esoterica about Terri Schaivo or any specifics of the Michael Jackson trial beyond the verdict itself.

Maybe I should stop reading the Globe & Mail and get a dumber daily paper.

MuppetPastor:

The "news" wants to tell people that they are in danger. In fact, people want to be told that, apparently. Then the "news" tells us how to avoid that danger.


No, the news media corporations want to make money, and people get frightened easily, in general, and so the best way to keep them watching is by telling them they need to be afraid, but only Channel 3,5,7,9,CNN,FOX,MSNBC,BULLSHT have the answer on how to be safe.

Once we seperate News from Money (yeah right, I wish) then we will start getting objective stories.

NuttierThanEver:

Try reading many different sources to get a clearer picture on world events one of my favorite sites is Mondo Times it has links to almost every newspaper in the world that has a website.

I read Google News, since it just collects everyone else's news, and I read here too. I don't just read the American version of Google news either...I read the British, the Australian, etc., you would never believe the information I've learned about the All Blacks and Australian Rules Rugby!

Seriously though, it is actually pretty interesting to see what other countries find important...I even click on the Japanese, Russian, and Chinese links and try to figure out what the articles are by the pictures.

the state of the (mainstream) news media in the US is an utter disgrace. i honestly cannot stand watching any of the nightly local news shows.. they're just disgusting. it's truly frightening to think that so many people get their news from them.

The media continues to report on how bad a job the media is doing on reporting.

1744... 45,46,47,48,4.......3005,06,07

good times are killing me.

I'll give you a hint, it's coming up on 2/3 of the number of Americans killed on Bin Laden's orders.

But I had lost track of how many U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq.

That's easy to explain -- he forgot to bookmark IHateAmerica.blogspot.com.

George_W_Hussein

and how many of those host a network news telecast? or even report for one?

Just moved to a cabin in the woods with no TV (But a phone line for the internets, of course) and I already feel happier...

George_W_Hussein

I see your point about the media not being exclusively liberal; however, how large would your Photoshop need to be to include all the pictures of high-profile liberal pundits?

I'm not making a point either way, I'm just sayin'.

"How many members of the Brady Bunch can you name? How many Supreme Court justices can you name? What does this say about you?"

I've never wanted to feel up a supreme court justice (sorry, Ruth B-G, Sandy D-O'C and David S).

Also the supreme court never toured the country as a variety act.

El Trollo

Iraq deaths are over 1700 (1723?)

Yet I didn't know when Terri McVeggie collapsed.

I really doubt I'm one of the few.

easy steps to becoming a freethinker:

1. Ditch the t.v.
2. If you choose to read a newspaper or magazine article, read it all the way through.
3. Do some research as to the media outlets which you use. You may be surprised who (which corporations) back them.
4. Harpers/ the Atlantic Monthly are good choices
5. Do not blindly believe anything you read or hear.
6. Use judgement and common sense.
7. Read "the Prince"

This guy is a farking dumbass. Everyday on the front page of my hometown newspaper, The Mobile Register, is news from Iraq. Yes sometimes it shares the page with a Jennifer Wilbanks type story but the Iraq news is ALWAYS there. Further, when I listen to NPRs Morning Edition I get overnight news from Iraq. Then I listen to sports radio....SORRY, but I do like to listen to sports and I am not going to apologize to assholes like this guy. Then I come home and I watch Fox News and they have stories about Iraq but dickwads like this guy only pay attention when the story is Michael Jackson.

George_W_Hussein

You classify Paula Zahn and Wolf Blitzer as conservatives?

You just blew your credibility wad.

really the only news to watch is "News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on PBS. just like the only news magazine i read is "The Economist". if anyone has better suggestions i'm listening.

PBS Newshour and NPR (Morning Edition and All Things Considered) deliver news, straight up. I challenge any farker to find the bias and shut me up.

/tired of public radio and television getting slammed for doing an excellent job in a partisan country

I knew that Paris Hilton had announced she was retiring in two years, but I couldn't tell what she does for a living.

Yeah, good luck on finding anybody who can tell you that. Although that line was a bit out of place given the rest of the article.

this is NOT a "liberal media" issue. as i say, the mainstream media is just plain shiat. turning it into yet another partisan argument is completely ridiculous.

news agencies are profit driven, and they report what they think will benefit their ratings the most.

The Schiavo controversy was a necessary one. It showed the ugly side of American culture by exposing those who would kill those who they consider useless in the name of "mercy."

If a fellow dies from gunfire in a war, is it really news?

Show me a man dying at a cat show from cat-show related injuries and I think we've got something.

Oh, please! Borsellino (the columnist who wrote the article) is one of the worst offenders! His great column is little more than gossip about which t.v. weather reporter is moving from one channel to another.

If Borsellino wants Iowans to focus on weighty news of importance, then that's what he should be writing about.