Does our Press do its job?
By SteveSlaton
@SteveSlaton (552)
United States
April 21, 2009 11:47am CST
Journalism students are taught to report “both sides.” So much for the press being our watchdogs protecting our freedom!
I’ve worked in newspapers. News pieces are called filler. They make their money selling advertising. Same concept with TV shows. They spend money making shows to sell advertising spots.
There are many, many ways to climb the mountain of life. Journalists flatly do not report all sides. They are bought and paid for and part of the problem.
What do you think?
Steve Slaton
2 people like this
4 responses
@PrarieStyle (2486)
• United States
26 Apr 09
Even the local village papers can't seem to get things right. I was pulled over once for having a tail light out and our small town paper reported that I was driving around without my head lights on. How can they mess something like that up? I guess it wasn't as interesting of a story if I only had a tail light out.
Whatever happened to investigative reporting? Most of them don't want to get the truth or the facts they seem to want to exaggerate the truth and try to impose their views on us. The proof is in the pudding I guess and it's one of the reasons so many newspapers are going belly up and why we seem to only have one fairly reliable news channel on television.
Sad times we live in...
@SteveSlaton (552)
• United States
26 Apr 09
Excuse me? I know of no reliable new channel of TV.
Slaton
@hacker006 (126)
• United States
21 Apr 09
your right, most people are driven by greed, & the only reason barrock obama got presidentcy was because the news was making the news & only pointing out faults in the republic party & some how despite lay man faults in the democratic news no one attacked them. In 3-4 years it will be the other way, people are niave & don't investigate on their own other wise they would know what change the president is bringing, & it ain't good
@SteveSlaton (552)
• United States
24 Apr 09
You insult us independents!
While I am neither Republican or Democrat, I was so sick of Reagan Republicans that I reluctantly looked at the Dims. There was O'Bama, my long lost Irish Cousin!
We Independents were key to both McBush and O'Bama getting their parties nominations. It was not "the press." I worked hard and helped turn Colorado for a Dim majority for president in Colorado. The last time that happened in Colorado was 1964 with Johnson. Obama ain't no Johnson!
With McBush we were moving fast toward WWIII. With O'Bama we are going slower. O'bama is openly talking of a world without nuclear weapons.
Am I pleased with all this damn deficit spending of both parties? No!
With Obama being controversial I think a Populist Movement may get organized to promote peace.
That's what I about, anyway.
Slaton
@hacker006 (126)
• United States
24 Apr 09
pherps you are right, I didn't metion the smaller of news stations, but however your amusption as to where wars are going are nearly the opposite. Mr. Obama doesn't even use his orginal name & has already proven himself to do things with out public adress
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
22 Apr 09
Mainstream news? Definitely not. There's just a handful in the mainstream that manage to do their job (some of the time)...overall, it's money, not truth & integrity...that prevails.
It IS a problem, but there's an obvious solution; we the people. Blogging and alternative (online news) peoples have been filling the void for years, but are just now gaining popularity. Strangely enough, it's easier to find the truth on the internet...sifting through all the voices on here, than by turning on the television.
For me personally, it's gotten to the point where I cringe whenever I listen to the news on television. I can hear the lies, misinformation, and incomplete bits...without even paying attention to what they're saying. It bothers me alot...
So; I have my own news and current events blog, and that's how I keep up to date.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
21 Apr 09
That is a big fat NO. Our media and newspapers do not even try to look unbiased or fair anymore. They are either left wing or right wing and report accordingly. Gone are days when they used to just report the news. NOw they report it and tell you how you should feel about it.
@SteveSlaton (552)
• United States
24 Apr 09
Consider studying your history. The early press was either Wig or Tory from the beginning.
There was always revolutionary or populist press. Blogging on the Web is the best populist source now.
We have "Associated Press."
It would be great to see a self-policing, perhaps consumer owned "Populist Press" that journalists could earn a living under.
I would buy and subscribe.
Steve
