Comments on: Self-Important Journalists http://enlightened-american.com/2009/03/19/self-important-journalists One person's quest to make sense of a senseless American economy and society. Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:07:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Davy Bui http://enlightened-american.com/2009/03/19/self-important-journalists/comment-page-1#comment-8742 Davy Bui Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:05:43 +0000 http://enlightened-american.com/?p=326#comment-8742 I should probably do a follow-up post on this but blogs are different in one respect: they aren't legitimized to the extent the mainstream media is. So if I drop by Sludge or Huffington, I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. After all, no one watching pro wrestling thinks it's real! The mainstream media has an aura of credibility that can be quite subtle yet pervasive. Maybe we know that George Will hangs pretty far to the right but if their front page features an "official" story on housing and they quote the "chief economist" of the National Association of Realtors as saying this or that, but without providing the context that he's a shameless shill -- not all people read newspapers as skeptically as they should. This aspect is why Ellul in his Propoganda book stated that those who read newspapers, i.e. the most informed and educated, are one of the population segments most easily propagandized. These days, we also have a mainstream media cowed by its subjects and not willing to ask hard questions until things have gotten way out of hand. Someone who watches hours of Fox News everyday but without recognition of their overwhelming bias is going to be severely misinformed in key areas but of course, they will think otherwise. I watch MSNBC but I'm more than aware that every evening on-air personality would love a romantic evening w/ Barack Obama -- yes they are all male or lesbian but no matter. You would hope people consume news with a skeptical eye but more than likely, what happens is the consumer embeds the bias into her own viewpoint. Caveat emptor. I should probably do a follow-up post on this but blogs are different in one respect: they aren’t legitimized to the extent the mainstream media is. So if I drop by Sludge or Huffington, I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. After all, no one watching pro wrestling thinks it’s real!

The mainstream media has an aura of credibility that can be quite subtle yet pervasive. Maybe we know that George Will hangs pretty far to the right but if their front page features an “official” story on housing and they quote the “chief economist” of the National Association of Realtors as saying this or that, but without providing the context that he’s a shameless shill — not all people read newspapers as skeptically as they should.

This aspect is why Ellul in his Propoganda book stated that those who read newspapers, i.e. the most informed and educated, are one of the population segments most easily propagandized. These days, we also have a mainstream media cowed by its subjects and not willing to ask hard questions until things have gotten way out of hand.

Someone who watches hours of Fox News everyday but without recognition of their overwhelming bias is going to be severely misinformed in key areas but of course, they will think otherwise. I watch MSNBC but I’m more than aware that every evening on-air personality would love a romantic evening w/ Barack Obama — yes they are all male or lesbian but no matter.

You would hope people consume news with a skeptical eye but more than likely, what happens is the consumer embeds the bias into her own viewpoint.

Caveat emptor.

]]> By: Dax http://enlightened-american.com/2009/03/19/self-important-journalists/comment-page-1#comment-8738 Dax Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:24:47 +0000 http://enlightened-american.com/?p=326#comment-8738 I do take his point regarding political/economic blogs. I read a lot of them, both Right and Left. It's incredible the extent that the Left blogs completely ignore any news that paints their side in a bad light (and the same for the Right sites). It's like they're existing in parallel universes. I think reading news & opinion only from one side is more pointless than not reading any news at all. I do take his point regarding political/economic blogs. I read a lot of them, both Right and Left. It’s incredible the extent that the Left blogs completely ignore any news that paints their side in a bad light (and the same for the Right sites). It’s like they’re existing in parallel universes.

I think reading news & opinion only from one side is more pointless than not reading any news at all.

]]> By: Anonymous http://enlightened-american.com/2009/03/19/self-important-journalists/comment-page-1#comment-8664 Anonymous Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:36:23 +0000 http://enlightened-american.com/?p=326#comment-8664 When pajamas are outlawed only pajama people will have pajamas. State writers in the former Eastern Bloc were also paid by the word. When pajamas are outlawed only pajama people will have pajamas. State writers in the former Eastern Bloc were also paid by the word.

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