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On the media


Adam

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The thing I think you are all forgetting is that the 'media' is a business - their first objective is to make money. A conservitive friend of mine was complaining that all the positive stories coming out of Iraq are being ignored or buried far from the front pages.

My response is that the newspapers are in business to sell their product - this is the capitalist way isn't it - bad news sells.

You have to remember that all decisions - whether you are selling widgets or newspapers - are made with the bottom line as first priority.

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The thing I think you are all forgetting is that the 'media' is a business - their first objective is to make money. A conservitive friend of mine was complaining that all the positive stories coming out of Iraq are being ignored or buried far from the front pages.

My response is that the newspapers are in business to sell their product - this is the capitalist way isn't it - bad news sells.

You have to remember that all decisions - whether you are selling widgets or newspapers -  are made with the bottom line as first priority.

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I think we should be asking ourselves- why does bad news sell better- or who put that concept in our heads

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Why does the media report about some blond haired and blue eyed girl that disappeared on aruba 6 months ago, everyday. And teenagers in my old neighborhood get shot to death, and get 10 lines in the local paper, then on to the next story.

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Maybe you got some ugly neighbors. <_<

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I think they go beond that- they want to CREATE the story, and they want to go after those they dont like, and dig things up- even if there is no reason to look

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There is a noticable difference with Fox News. When they report news, they very seldom add comments. No ''tsk-tsk" or "what a way to spend money" or "we'll see if there is something more here, hmmm...". CNN's, MSNBC, the broadcasters do that all the time.

 

Certainly Fox's commentary is conservative - but they do a good job of keeping the raised eyebrows and little snide asides at bay when reporting a story. They seperate news reporting from editorializing.

 

No Katie Couric squaking out a news item while bugging an eyeball out, no Lou Dobbs imperiously assuming that any and all of the nation's economic woes magically came into being in January 2000.

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The thing I think you are all forgetting is that the 'media' is a business - their first objective is to make money. A conservitive friend of mine was complaining that all the positive stories coming out of Iraq are being ignored or buried far from the front pages.

My response is that the newspapers are in business to sell their product - this is the capitalist way isn't it - bad news sells.

You have to remember that all decisions - whether you are selling widgets or newspapers -  are made with the bottom line as first priority.

605516[/snapback]

 

In the media there are a few powerful forces at work:

 

1) Ratings/Sales

2) Careerism - (Nobody is remembered for breaking that incredibly happy story.)

3) A filter that streamlines news to fit 1 and 2.

 

Ergo, your nightly news is pre-chewed so there is little ambiguity or complexity to digest, and iconic. Just think, what are the images of the Iraq war that the media has broadcast and rebroadcast- I can think of a few - the statue toppling, the bagged head guy at Abu Garaib, Jessica Lynch, that armless and legless little boy, etc. You can be familiar with all these iconic images and know sh-- about what is happening there.

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I think we should be asking ourselves- why does bad news sell better- or who put that concept in our heads

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For the same reason traffic gets backed uo in I95 for four miles cause people are slowing down to look at a traffic accident

 

For the same reason that people come out of thier house and gawk when they see a blue light down the street.

 

For the same reason that people watch shows like COPS.

 

Because deep down, most people like to see others in pain or hurt.

 

 

Most people are selfish, clueless, mindless automotons. I hate people. Maybe the superflu will wipe the virus that is humanity from the Earth.

 

Sorry, I'm feeling a bit melodramatic today... :doh:

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