Teh Modern Mass Media

[boxy]

The nature of the mass media today is such that the truth is irrelevant. What is true and what is right to the general public is what is defined as true and right by the mass media. Ronald Reagan understood that the facts are not relevant. The media reported what he said as fact. Follow-up investigation was “old news.” A headline comment on Monday’s newspaper far outweighs the revelation of inaccuracy revealed in a small box inside the paper on Tuesday or Wednesday.

What exactly can we do about this situation?

It's often blamed on the short attention span of the average person. But is this lack of attention to the details of every little issue caused by information overload?

Seriously, the average (and even above average) person simply can't pay enough attention to every little detail of every issue that is brought to their attention, and still live a life for themselves. And now we have individuals and organisations playing on this inability of Joe Public to track every lie down, and taking advantage of the fact that the uninformed still get a vote that is equal to the fully informed.

Democracy being debased, by one of the institutions that is at it's very foundations... a free and independent press.

[Hebe]

What exactly can we do about this situation?

Unfortunately, unless you are very very sure about your sources, the only thing you can do is avoid the modern media, who are much more concerned with sensation than truth. And presumably that's because we are too. It's all about the money, and stuff people's reputations.

[freediver]

I'm not sure what the problem is. Lies are big news.

[TomB]

If the media are to be believed they will all be out of business soon due to that meddlesome interweb thingy anyway.

[Howard Stinks]

Simple reality, when money comes into it, truth wiil go out the window,they have to make money,simple do good stories don't make money.
Look up Media Watch on the ABC TV many copy and paste.

[boxy]

I'm not sure what the problem is. Lies are big news.

Only big lies, from big players, are news worthy of equal coverage when they're uncovered.

If the media are to be believed they will all be out of business soon due to that meddlesome interweb thingy anyway.

And that will make things even worse. The problem is that there isn't enough time or resources allocated to real journalists, on the ground, verifying facts before the story goes to air. The MSM may be bad, but purely online media and the blogosphere are that x10.

Somebody has to pay for the journalists, who here pays for their news these days?

Simple reality, when money comes into it, truth wiil go out the window,they have to make money,simple do good stories don't make money.
Look up Media Watch on the ABC TV many copy and paste.

If only Media Watch was a ratings success, I'd have more faith in the media, and the public's ability to critically analyse what they're fed.

[TomB]

And that will make things even worse. The problem is that there isn't enough time or resources allocated to real journalists, on the ground, verifying facts before the story goes to air. The MSM may be bad, but purely online media and the blogosphere are that x10.

In reality this makes no difference as most people (see Sprintcyclist as an example) only see and regurgitate what they want to so what matter the source?

[Howard Stinks]

And that will make things even worse. The problem is that there isn't enough time or resources allocated to real journalists, on the ground, verifying facts before the story goes to air. The MSM may be bad, but purely online media and the blogosphere are that x10.

In reality this makes no difference as most people (see Sprintcyclist as an example) only see and regurgitate what they want to so what matter the source?

Sounds like Abbott and Costello the politicians.Kill the truth.