Media Ignorance

[Expertise]

Is it just my critical nature, or are you too constanly amazed at the sheer ignorance of the media (print,tv,radio)?

I mean geeze I don't expect them to be neurosurgeons but so many are just such completely vapid idiots with no significant base of knowledge about ANYTHING.

For example, I was listening to a CBC radio (usualy the best of a bad lot in Canada) report about three soldiers in my old Regiment being seriously injured yesterday in Eritrea. The freakin' mental void they had interviewing the obviously exasperated young information officer was fucking unbelievable.

These guys were doing an ammo upload on an LAV III armored vehicle and were pretty badly hurt when, somehow, a round went off inside the turret.

Instead of asking about the extent of their injuries or if this was a common problem with the LAV III or if they were being transported out of theater or any other question that would exhibit a modicum of intelligence or journalistic ability. This fucking bimbette asks the poor Leftenant to explain what " a round" is.... jesus wept and so did I. I wouldn't have blamed the Information Officer if she had asked for this idiots adress so she could don kit and eliminate her from the gene pool.

I used to think that "the talking head" comment was a gross generalization or merely a humorous if inaccurate stereotype. I think I was wrong. I think that depth of knowledge that most members of the media have (God bless Tom Brokaw), extends no further than the teleprompter or the news sheets in front of them.

Do you concur? Feel free to weigh in with your views and examples. Especially you Sparky you probaly deal with these voids on a daily basis.


[Edited by Expertise on 03-20-2001 at 09:26 AM]

 

[Mistress]

LOL! I bet she knew what a DP was though!

 

[OUTSIDER]

youre not alone, here in Britain we have many news operations, some good some bad I tend to listen to either BBC News or ITN News, both are good and make the cable channels look stupid.

 

[Jade]

You know Expertise...

This sort of dates back to that whole "natural selection/Darwin" thread... it just doesn't apply to humans does it...

But it must be remembered that these people exist everywhere... and I mean EVERYWHERE!

Answer me this: have you ever gone into a McDonalds and been "afraid" to change your order in some way?

And so maybe it sounds like I am getting down on the fast food people... nah... I worked at McDonalds for a few months as a teen, but hey... I got a clue. ;-)

Seriously though... there are plenty of other jobs that "seemingly" you wouldn't anticipate problems of a similar degree, despite the different nature, but HA... the idiot always find away around being "idiot proof," right?

*sigh* Sad, very sad...
I feel your pain baby, believe me!

 

[indyweasel]

As soon as you idiot proof something, they will make a better idiot.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

There is a huge problem with "Journalism" in general and from all sides.

And there are reasons.

First - there has always been a problem that exists between...

Those practicing journalism -
The public, who consume journalism -
The public, who find themselves the subject of journalism -

AND - the businessmen who want to profit from the sale of journalism.

Always, always - it ain't nothing new. It goes back to the very first day some, "opinionated, so-called knowledgeable person, spoke out loud, some so-called truisms regarding somebody or something else, "regardless is they were true or even logically based on facts," Some folks believed this person - some did not - and controversy ensued.

But today there are obvious problems in journalism - the most notable is competition - what "sells news."

The second is "lack of interest, lack of training, producing lackey journalists." The profession has gone so far into the toilet that virtually no kids want to take it up. J schools throughout the US are closing down or downsizing. They are begging kids to come learn. Teachers are getting scarce. Even if a kid takes it up, graduates and finds a job - the pay sucks big ones. Those who find their way to journalism? They leave in droves. And don't even talk about diversity. There ain't none.

It's not a pretty picture. And it keeps getting worse.

Now day's a guy like Matt Drudge can get on the internet - and without credential one - hang out a shingle and practice journalism. And apparently, if he's bold enough - lots of people actually "think he is one."

And of course as time goes by, the Lou Grants of the world are dying off. My father for one.

Expect it to get much worse. Take a look at your local 24hour cable news crew. A bunch of really old skives with bad toupee's sittin' at the desk, usually retired radio folks and inexperienced street reporter's so young they look like they're in HS. Nobody in between. And this is the apprenticeship of the day.

Speaking of which - the High Schools do nothing but squelch journalism and any enthused interests in it. Usually, those HS's that "allow" a school newspaper to even exist, sensor it heavily. I've personally seen thousands of cases. HS journalism is a sham. And the kids know it.

So, my opinion -

Journalism is meaningless, neutered and balless - without, "a right to know" and "free speech" - and a societal willingness to accept that - which in turn equates to a large degree of uncensored information that will hopefully be filtered by responsible journalists.

Apparently - our society is shifting on this issue, they don't really want freedom (it's in all the survey's) and it will only hurt journalism and the people that "need" it. Us.

You see -

Censorship Is......

The Silent Symphony
Of Societal Insecurities
That Serenades
The Ignorant
And Willfully Uninformed

Yes......

Another great quote from the Uber Spark.

 

[Talon]

Here in the Rocky Mountain State..(Colorado) we recently had a big 'issue' with the Texas convicts who escaped. Since they were very close to my humble abode(not across the street...but still ) It was all over the TV. Instead of asking intelligent questions after the shootout was over...every reporter was being an ass...aka asking questions like..."Was everything done to try and get them to surrender or did you just open fire?" ect...ect. I don't ever listen to the news because they don't have stories I'm interested in, and they hire 'good looking'(not always) people to cover stories, not talented people.

 

[OUTSIDER]

Talon try watching BBC News 24 if you can get it, lots of butt ugly but clever people telling you like it is.

 

[CreamyLady]

Lately, some of the local idiots have had trouble reading the teleprompter, and a good diction class would benefit most of them.

I won't even start on the mispronunciation of proper names.

I hate the LA Times. It weighs a ton, mainly because of the advertising. The writing is appalling. Someone decided that the reading public needed help, so there are all kinds of nifty little graphics and boxes and charts and graphs and summaries.

One LA Times can last all summer as a barbecue starter.

You know you are screwed when, instead of information about where the blackouts are going to be, you get perky smiley people sticking microphones in the faces of people on dark streets, asking how it feels to be eating lasagne when the lights go off. As if the splotch on the shirt isn't a dead giveaway . . .

 

[Jade]

Creamy

That was damn clever! lol!! haha!

Spark... journalism isn't the only career shunned in the public school system though... really, that's an entirely different topic. I think or at least hope that people are of an understanding (the masses at least) about our school system needing an overhaul.

 

[MinkSoul]

I hate the LA Times. It weighs a ton, mainly because of the advertising. The writing is appalling. Someone decided that the reading public needed help, so there are all kinds of nifty little graphics and boxes and charts and graphs and summaries

it's the 'USA Today' syndrome

 

[Ally C]

Talon try watching BBC News 24 if you can get it, lots of butt ugly but clever people telling you like it is.

I'd go as far as to say it's impossible to tell it like it is. It's possible to live and experience something first hand. As soon as information is mediated it changes in nature. I'm not saying that we should forever and always question or disbelieve 'news', although there are times when one or both courses of action are prudent. I am saying we should question what doesn't make the news [countless examples abound, go ahead and pick your own - you'll see what I mean!] The media is far from 'ignorant' in some senses of the word; those who rely on it too heavily are - or can be - 'ignorant' in every sense of the word.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

There's another thing to think about here......

Most don't see it - I believe. Again my "human arrogance of intellect theory" at work.

Journalist are people - human. Falling prey to all the normal deficiencies that all humans fall prey too.

The ideal journalist might be some sort of computer robot - with no human emotion with which to cloud total objectivity.

But journalists are not robots and therefore are not totally objective.

During the recent "storm of the century" fiasco - I had quite a few conversations with my fellow journalists (no I'm not a card-carrying, college certified one, but "I hang" with them all the time - the Shebabe is a card-carrying J school grad) - anyway, we discussed "what our call would be in the newsroom regarding this so-called storm."

After voicing my, "as objective and non-inflammatory," view point on what my call would be - it was clear and I agreed - I would probably be fired.

[Note: Where the weather is concerned, news rooms will always err on the side of "protecting/warning the public" the fallout of downplaying a situation and having something bad happen is far greater than the fallout of blowing the prediction.]

You see - journalists, especially meteorologists "get excited" about this kind of thing. Hey, remember - they are human. The weather is usually boring. Weather people usually don't get much face time - or ink. Also - we, as news consumers - get excited as well. It was all the talk - right?

Anyway, excitement sells, people (all people) watch excitement - they want excitement, they crave excitement - and your normal human journalists - wants and likes that excitement too. And if successful and correct and factual - an accurate projection regard "news" can propel a journalist to fame and fortune. Even more exciting.

This example regarding the weather can carry over into any, that's any - news story. Sensationalism excites - sensationalism sells.

And in the end journalists are just like you and me - human.

So, why wouldn't everyone expect them to fuck up - it's natural.

 

[Expertise]

I don't disagree with you Sparky. Everyone fucks up on occasion. But these clods do it with absolutely stunning regularity.

Like I said, I don't expect them to be neurosurgeons but could they not find people who are at least conversant in most things and intuitive enough to ask relevant questions when they aren't?

I realize that ethstetics are an important part of TV news and that a journalism degree is not worth what it once was (in regards to remuneration) in the other sectors.... but fuck me! Do they go looking for mental midgets?

 

[Ally C]

More of the same

The media is far from 'ignorant' in some senses of the word; those who rely on it too heavily are - or can be - 'ignorant' in every sense of the word.

I know journalists are subject to the same foibles as the rest of us. I'm not discriminating between those 'in' or 'outside' the profession. I'm discriminating between those who get hung up on news as 'truth' as being 'real', and those who can use the power of their own intellect to appraise the news for themselves. Yes, I'm aware of the oft cited paradox whereby it's argued that if I / we can't trust 'the media', then we lack any basis from which to proceed with a coherent set of articulations concerning it. Which is to say / agree that we all 'fuck up'. Given the nature of journalism, there is a need for 'responsibility', but again, this responsibility is tempered by political affiliations and financial concerns for example (just like the 'rest of us'!) I don't necessarily want to judge journalists either, and if I did, whose values should I use? Any job requires conforming to certain rules and behaviour, otherwise you wouldn't last long in that profession. I'm just surprised that more people don't seem to be aware of the 'reality' of it all. Maybe I'm not giving some enough credit. Then again, it's nice to earn it for yourself.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

You are correct, most journalists today.....

particularly those under 40 - blow dead rats.

Poor teachers, poor training, poor understand of just what journalism means.

They are young and hungry - and with good reason - lousy pay. They want more - they cut corners because they weren't taught to not do so.

It's a big problem. It will take a gerational flush or two to swing it back.

Or certain types of journalism will simply die off.