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Your honest assessment of the news

 
black 2017-03-28 08:52:21 

Prior to the creation of conservative news outlets, were news slanted in favor of Democrats?

And, have conservative news outlets, in order to correct those imbalances, gone too far in the other direction?

I'm not saying that is the case, just want your opinion on the subject.

 
black 2017-03-28 09:04:33 

Try to be objective.

Confirmation biases would not allow some of us to think that way. lol

 
birdseye 2017-03-28 09:22:57 

In reply to black

Prior to the creation of conservative news outlets, were news slanted in favor of Democrats?
No ! news was just news………….there was even something called the ‘fairness doctrine’ - it said that if some media outlet made a claim – that media outlet had to give equal time to opposing view if requested – Ronald Reagan got rid of that rule.
here

 
black 2017-03-28 09:30:58 

In reply to birdseye

Why was there a need for the fairness doctrine, if the news was being presented, fairly? Just asking.

 
black 2017-03-28 09:40:06 

In reply to birdseye

I would tend to agree with you, but why is the other side seeing bias, when we cannot?

 
camos 2017-03-28 09:43:20 

In reply to black

there is no problem with the news, the problem is with people presenting opinion as news!

 
black 2017-03-28 09:54:07 

In reply to camos


the problem is with people presenting opinion as news!


True, but they must have felt that the news was not being presented fairly.

Remember, bias can be subtle, just like how black people see bias and white people don't. There are many ways to exhibit bias, it can be tone, omission, one sided, etc.

 
birdseye 2017-03-28 10:27:53 

In reply to black


True, but they must have felt that the news was not being presented fairly.
There can be no unfairness outside the human mind

 
Ewart 2017-03-28 10:36:44 

In reply to birdseye

No ! news was just news...



You got that right!

News has always been just news.


But the Daily Mail and other British tabloids led the field in selling newspapers by publishing stuff that was more opinion than news, and barely skirting the libel laws as they did so.

I remember once being assigned to assist a Daily Mail reporter on a story in Jamaica and when I saw what was eventually published I could not recognize it!

Then came the NATIONAL ENQUIRER and other supermarket tabloids who operated with lots of money to fight or buy their way out of libel suits because most of what they published was false.

Then came Sesame Street with its short, snappy clips suitable for a child's short attention span.

This led many newspapers to reduce the space they allotted to news stories.

The so-called "news-talk-radio" hosts then came into the picture and attracted heavy support from very rich business interests of the Republican Right.

This was then picked up by CNN and done well as they brought you news from around the world practically as it happened in short snappy stories. But CNN then got into the news-talk-tv stuff and led it. This is where OPINION gets far more treatment than NEWS even when they try to "balance" what they present by bringing people with opposing views before their cameras.

News is still news. You can find it on the BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, Mother Jones, Daily Gleaner, Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, Boston Globe, CBC, and a few other places.

They also carry opinion. But they separate them. Carefully. And they identify the separation so you the reader can know what is news and what is not.



//

 
black 2017-03-28 10:36:53 

In reply to birdseye

Explain.

 
Ewart 2017-03-28 10:39:36 

In reply to black


See the explanation above.


big grin


//

 
black 2017-03-28 10:41:34 

In reply to Ewart


Then came the NATIONAL ENQUIRER and other supermarket tabloids who operated with lots of money to fight or buy their way out of libel suits because most of what they published was false.


I don't know a lot about the British tabloids but the National Enquirer was never a serious news organization.

 
birdseye 2017-03-28 10:50:42 

In reply to black

explain
Let me muddle things some more – the news is considered “fair” if its agreed to

 
Ewart 2017-03-28 10:51:20 

In reply to black

...the National Enquirer was never a serious news organization...



Bingo! But it was successful! Making money hand over fist! And other publications wanted that too.

The thing about it is that the "deplorables" buy it and read it as though it were a serious news organization.


//

 
black 2017-03-28 10:51:50 

In reply to Ewart

Then came Sesame Street with its short, snappy clips suitable for a child's short attention span


Sesame Street?

 
birdseye 2017-03-28 10:52:11 

In reply to Ewart

i was going to tell him to read your post

 
black 2017-03-28 11:47:43 

In reply to birdseye

Let me muddle things some more – the news is considered “fair” if its agreed to


Isn't that the point the other side is making?

 
Ewart 2017-03-28 11:57:13 

In reply to black

Yes. Sesame Street.







You need to read the whole thing and try to follow the impact of the trends.


//

 
nick2020 2017-03-28 12:18:35 

In reply to black

Good post black.

More like these.

 
black 2017-03-28 12:19:37 

In reply to Ewart

I read the whole thing.

I think I got your point. lol

 
Veracity 2017-03-28 12:50:15 

In reply to camos
I beg to differ with that perspective ... the issue is that We (the masses) can't decipher what is news vs what is opinion.
Two/three decades ago the lines were less blurred, and until the news host and politicians agree that they are not the ultimate voice, and become more open discussion (including focusing on facts) we (the world) will continue to be very polarized.
We need to bring back the days when people could have a civilized, respectful discussion, and at the end shake hands and walk-away without having to look back.

 
Runs 2017-03-28 13:02:07 

Critical thinking skills are severely lacking, many people need to be taught how to do such. cool

 
black 2017-03-28 13:02:47 

Examples of bias and perceived bias are right here in this forum. Some people swear by the WICB Administration and others hate them, is it because they are incompetent or perceived that way?

Some say, insularity is rampant in West Indies Cricket, other (those not affected) don't think so.

 
birdseye 2017-03-28 13:17:11 

In reply to black

Isn't that the point the other side is making?
“Truth” does not oscillate between two extreme realities

 
Runs 2017-03-28 13:19:09 

Here is a helpful tool
Link Text

 
black 2017-03-28 13:29:45 

In reply to Runs

You are talking about obvious fake news, I'm talking about subtle biases, written by good writers who can hide their biases.

 
Ewart 2017-03-28 16:14:19 

In reply to Veracity

We need to bring back the days when people could have a
civilized, respectful discussion
, and at the end shake hands and walk-away without having to look back.



Agreed. But in order to do that you will have to get rid of the Repugnants - people like Paul Ryan, Cruz, Trey Gowdy and Mitch McConnell who don't care one fart about respectful discussion, civilization or truth.


//

 
black 2017-03-28 23:04:50 

In reply to Ewart

The so-called "news-talk-radio" hosts then came into the picture and attracted heavy support from very rich business interests of the Republican Right.


The biggest culprits in the division of the Country.

Their only motive is money, the more outrageous the better.

 
black 2017-03-29 08:02:25 

Sarah Palin also has a lot to do with the discrediting of media.

 
Ewart 2017-03-29 08:49:02 

In reply to Runs


Thank you Runs for this.


big grin


//

 
Ewart 2017-03-29 09:32:41 

In reply to black

...I'm talking about subtle biases...



That's a whole different kettle of fish! Everybody has bias and many have biases. There are rules/guidelines that trained journalists use to diminish those but you are never going to completely eliminate a person's bias.

So, here's the deal. If you regard the WSJ as the Bible of American capitalism (which it is) you will not be surprised to see many news stories and articles of opinion on matters of interest to capitalists.

Your job - in your search for truth - is not to accept what you read in the WSJ as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You have to go shopping! Go shopping in the marketplace of media.

So also read view and listen to NPR, CBC, BBC, NYT, Mother Jones, The Guardian, Times of London, Gleaner, Boston Globe, LA Times, etc.

My university's motto is:
"Ours The Task Eternal."
And that task is the search for truth.

People like Trump, Cruz, Pence and others make that task more difficult. But it is still our task.



//

 
Runs 2017-03-29 09:36:43 

In reply to Ewart
You are welcome, am always looking to contribute bro razz