Misdirection

Modeps

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
17,255
44
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http://www.ejectejecteject.com/archives/000051.html
Now to show you how this works in the real world, I need to tell you a story about a real man named Robert Wayne Jernigan. I guarantee you this story will make you very angry, but this is the kind of world we live in today.

Robert Wayne Jernigan is now 28 years old. People who knew him said he was quiet, somewhat stand-offish. He was not widely liked in high school.

Four years ago, a witness reported seeing Jernigan enter a building in a remote suburb of Dallas with an axe. Four people were found dead at the scene, including a nine year old girl. No charges were filed. Less than two days later, Jernigan turned up again, this time at the scene of a suspicious fire in a day care center. Miraculously, no one was injured. But it was just a matter of time.

During the next several weeks, it is possible to place Jernigan at the scene of no less than thirteen suspicious fires. Eleven people died. Eyewitnesses were unshakable in their determination that Jernigan had been on the scene. And yet the police did nothing.

Jernigan had long been fascinated with fire. A search of his apartment revealed fireman-related magazines, posters and memorabilia. Despite the deaths of fifteen people, despite repeated eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence placing Jernigan at these fires, no criminal charges were ever filed against Robert Wayne Jernigan. He remains a free man to this day.

And rightfully so. Because Robert Wayne Jernigan is an ordinary fireman for the Dallas Fire Department.* He is not a serial arsonist at all.

Now re-read the previous paragraphs and tell me where I lied.

Everything I told you was factually true. But the spin, the context, the misdirection? The press always reports serial killers with all three names ? Robert Wayne Jernigan sounds a hell of a lot more ominous than Bobby Jernigan. Quiet, stand-offish, not widely liked ? instant psychopath, if you read the papers. Entered the building with an axe ? oooh! That ought to get the blood boiling. That the people had died from smoke inhalation I decided was irrelevant to the story?

And so on. And so on.
 

Modeps

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
17,255
44
91
I was hoping to not to need explanation, but this is in regards to that thread about the new "crazy cop" and the skateboarding kids. In general, people tend to believe the worst immediately when something is authored to portray a specific message.
 

Modeps

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
17,255
44
91
Originally posted by: Farang
Errrr I realized he was probably a firefighter almost right away.

Probably didnt help you at all that the topic title was misdirection.
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
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Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: maxster
:beer:

Fvck FOX News. They do this shit all the time.

fuck all news stations. they do it all the time.

But it is cool to spew about Faux News including calling it Faux News.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,281
5,053
136
It's called spin. Lots of people have an agenda, and lots of people are willing to mislead you to get you to agree with their agenda.
You should have used Randy Weavers story in your example, to this day he's referred to as "white separatist Randy Weaver".
 

mwmorph

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2004
8,882
1
81
Yup, my friend's father is a Lt. Colonel in the air force and he used to go publicity and media handling training from consultants, one of which was one of the former guys high up in CNN. The most interest and use bit of information he picked up is that "CNN, MSNBC, Fox news are not out there to report the truth, it's out there to attract an audience and garner ratings."

That and ever sine I took journalism yeas an years ago in middle school, i've learned to never take the news at face value.
 

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
29,033
6
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They do it all the time when teachers are intimate with their students.

Instead of "Dedicated educator forms close ties with favorite students" they lead with "Harlot teacher rapes innocent teenager"
 

runzwithsizorz

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2002
3,500
14
76
At Waco, it wasn't a church, it was a "sect", It wasn't a commune, it was a, "compound",it wasn't a basement, it was a "bunker", it wasn't a two story building, it was a "watchtower", it wasn't a pantry, it was, "food stores for a long siege", it wasn't just a few hand guns, and rifles, it was an "arsonal" including a 50cal. machine gun, which was never found in the ashes and put on display. But if you still have doubts as to whether we should attack, lets toss in "child molestation", which was proven false by survivors testimony. Note to Ms. Reno, next time no survivors!
Oh well, nothing to see here folks, lets move along