... if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.
Mark Twain's quote is justly famous but is in need of renovation after 130 years. Adam Piggott has a post explaining why:
From The Other McCain, a report that journalists at a press conference in Minnesota wildly objected to the police chief’s use of the word riot to describe the behaviour of certain groups of individuals who had taken to lobbing large chunks of concrete in the general direction of bystanders, police and numerous pieces of private property. The term riot is obviously appropriate and accurate based on the footage of the events. And when you consider that the business of journalism is to report on events using common vocabulary as a communication tool, then the outraged objections of these journalists to correct word usage is particularly illuminating.
The whole post makes the case that journalists are Public Enemy number 1. And so, back to Mr. Twain's comment which we can rewrite as follows:
If you don't follow the media, you are uninformed. If you do follow the media you are both uninformed and misinformed.
I've been saying it for years.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest threat to this country is not Russia, nor China, nor Iran or North Korea. It's not even the islamics. It's our own feckless, lying mass media - especially the lying news organizations.
I don't know what the solution might be, but they are indeed - Public Enemy #1.
Here's an idea. Under the guise of "public safety", that chief should keep all of those reporters who spoke such enlightening words in that room; and then transport them to the 'front line' of the 'peaceful protest'; and then have his officers quickly retreat.
ReplyDeleteIt's a win-win as either the reporters will change their tune, or have no more tune to sing.
My thought
ReplyDelete"If you follow the "media", you only know exactly what the DNC wants you to know."
That is no longer true today.
ReplyDeleteWhen the media lays out an article you can literally safely assume that it is a complete fabrication, and that the truth is exactly the opposite of what they say it is. To wit: the demonstrations are violent, nasty events performed by violent, stupid people - and that the vast majority of them are black.
I don’t use the mass media at all. I rely on the better blogs, free speech platforms, and other sources... and I don’t miss a thing. Turn them off! You don’t need them anymore...