News...WTF do we (I) want?

[mcurphy]

Thread derailed...

 

[Schadenfroh]

Listen to NPR instead.

 

[JSt0rm]

yeah I agree. NPR is the winner when it comes to real news. Its how I get 100% of my news and I know nothing of caset anthony and whatever else crap they are talking about on msn

 

[ProfJohn]

I spent 12 weeks working on a cruise ship in 2005.

No news, no cable, no TV no nothing.

It was amazing! Life went on!! 99% of what happens in the world has little to no effect on our daily lives.

Let's outlaw the news networks and go back to an hour a day of news. Force the networks to limit their stories to the important stuff that really matter.

Sure Japan is important, for a day or two. Maybe a follow up story every few months. But certainly not daily (unless you live in Japan)

And the crime of the day story... who cares!!!! Unless you are related to Casey Anthony or live on the same street you don't need to know the details. She isn't running around with a gun killing random people!

Imagine a simpler life like it used to be where people talked to their neighbors and walked around at night and invited people over for dinner...

What a wonderful would that would be...



BTW I gave up cable 4 years ago and don't miss it one bit!

 

[ProfJohn]

yeah I agree. NPR is the winner when it comes to real news. Its how I get 100% of my news and I know nothing of caset anthony and whatever else crap they are talking about on msn

Well you do need some balance.

But reading a good web site like National Review or some of the links on Drudge will at least give you a more balanced view of the world.

 

[JSt0rm]

Well you do need some balance.

But reading a good web site like National Review or some of the links on Drudge will at least give you a more balanced view of the world.

I need balance because I dont engage with you? please. I find my views to be pretty level headed. Like I dont think we should have public unions but we should have powerful private ones.

 

[ProfJohn]

I was talking about NPR.

As awesome as it can be and in-depth as its stories go it is still filtered through the minds and views of the people who run it.

And selection bias is the most prominent form of media bias. It isn't what is in the stories you read, it is the stories that you never get to read in the first place.

Hence multiple news sources with multiple POVs would provide you with a better understand of the world around you.

 

[JSt0rm]

I was talking about NPR.

As awesome as it can be and in-depth as its stories go it is still filtered through the minds and views of the people who run it.

And selection bias is the most prominent form of media bias. It isn't what is in the stories you read, it is the stories that you never get to read in the first place.

Hence multiple news sources with multiple POVs would provide you with a better understand of the world around you.

It has the least amount of bias actually. But I'm not going to talk about it with you because I actually WORK and I am not going to spend this evening trying to make you see reality.

 

[Infohawk]

NPR is the best but ultimately it's the same as the other news outlets. It gives you a warped version of the world. It's one reason so many people on this forum are angry. They are truly scared and want to take it out on people who have different political views.

So to answer your question you should pretty much ignore the news if you're looking for personal satisfaction. Once in a blue-moon a big event might be worthy of reading one article but that's about it.

 

[Orignal Earl]

Imagine a simpler life like it used to be where people talked to their neighbors and walked around at night and invited people over for dinner...

What a wonderful would that would be...

That is my world, I think you just got to go outside and talk to your neighbor.

 

[ProfJohn]

That is my world, I think you just got to go outside and talk to your neighbor.

I live in a new community and know everyone who has moved in, but three houses where they never seem to be outside.

Everyone knows my name.

And I go for a daily walk and stop and talk to many of them on a regular basis.

It is a good way to live your life.

 

[Macamus Prime]

It's human nature to sensationalize everything.

Given than today's world is so small, it's easy for news to travel. It's also human nature to mock and downplay someone else's suffering. Said mockery and downplaying usually comes from bais or hate towards the "victim".

And, said mockery and downplaying is based on observing the victim and realizing said victim is just sensationalizing their own "plight".

 

[Ausm]

yeah I agree. NPR is the winner when it comes to real news. Its how I get 100% of my news and I know nothing of caset anthony and whatever else crap they are talking about on msn

That's why it is threatening for Republicans so they want to defund it.

 

[Fear No Evil]

That's why it is threatening for Republicans so they want to defund it.

And that's why the libtards want to keep it propped up!

 

[Ausm]

And that's why the libtards want to keep it propped up!

"libtards"? come back after you hit puberty.

 

[sportage]

What do we (I) want?
The only thing I ever want is consistency.
I don't care of its bad, or good. But it must be consistent.
If we can't have government healthcare for all, then congressional members shouldn't either.
If union pensions are a bad thing and to be ended, then congressional pensions should also be ended.
If Obama is criticized for taking a vacation, then every president should also be criticized.
If Hitler murdered millions of jews and was labeled a demon, then any leader that murders the innocent should also share that label of a demon.
Alter all, Hitler believed in his heart he was doing the right thing for Germany's future.
Just as this country dropping the H-bomb, killing the innocent, was thought to be justified as a nation.

We feel justified in our own mind. That is how people can sleep at night with blood on their hands.
The "other" guy was not justified in our point of view, and we wonder how that person could possibly have lived with them self.
In the end... the only thing that matters, makes sense out of insanity, is consistency.

Michele Bachmann feels justified her family clinic accepts government money, but she doesn't feel you should be allowed to accept government money.
Feels justified her family farm accepts farm subsidies, but no other family farm should.
That her and her husband are justified in legal marriage and sharing that privilege, but same sex couples should not be allowed to share in that privilege.

Consistency!
Not hypocrisy.
Consistency!
.
.
.

 

[soulcougher73]

Lamestream media news is lame. Its either some made up hype over some overhyped celeb or its another murder/death/crime etc. Its never "good" news.

I havent watched news or weather news in years. Im a better man because of it

 

[Thump553]

What others said. Me, personally it's NPR for drive time, BBC-TV on occassion (on PBS), AL Jazeera occassionally on radio (try it, I was very pleasantly surprised, similar to BBC) and the NBC Nightly News. And, of course, the Daily Show for news/entertainment.

I make it a practice of avoiding nearly all the 24/7 news channels except for an occassional channel surfing stop. Obama is dead right on one point-the TV talking head pundits are an absolute waste of time (at best).

Oh, and my local paper for coupons and something to start the wood stove with in the winter.

 

[Craig234]

I actually have long had an idea for a news show.

Title: "The Big Picture"

Format: Only 'important' stories for society. The story is covered by explaining the background - who is involved, money connections, historical context.

For example, say the issue is QE3. The story would summarize leading economists about the whole pros and cons and how QE works; include info on when policies similar to QE have been tried and how well they worked; who is for and against it and why. It might take 20 minutes (or 30), and that's ok.

It could work for a newspaper as well. That's what I want in news.

 

[Thump553]

Craig234: You pretty much described PBS's NewsHour.

 

[piasabird]

Play some video games and turn the news off.

 

[ProfJohn]

That's why it is threatening for Republicans so they want to defund it.

The right wants to defund it because there is no reason for the government to be involved in broadcasting anymore when there are 13,000 radio stations offering up every view point you can imagine.

And the fact that NPR leans to the left.

No doubt NPR does an awesome job at what they do, but there is also no doubt that they present a left leaning view of things.

 

[Thump553]

13,000 radio stations owned and programed (after you take out college stations and public radio) by a half dozen companies at most. Thank god they haven't been able to kill internet radio yet.

I won't even respond to the BS "left leaning view" as that is part of GOP dogma and very few can be persuaded of the falsity of their religious beliefs-and PJ never will. All I can say is give "All Things Considered" a listen and compare it to the "fair and balanced"(C) Fox News and decide for yourself which is the propoganda mill.

 

[bfdd]

I need balance because I dont engage with you? please. I find my views to be pretty level headed. Like I dont think we should have public unions but we should have powerful private ones.

While I agree on the public/private union thing, just how "powerful" is powerful? Are we talking giant corporation powerful? If so why do you want that? I'd prefer they both lost "power". Nothing more than the bill of rights is needed to protect unions or corporations, they don't need special protections they don't need special treatment and they cannot possibly have the rights of a single individual because a group is NOT a person and a person is NOT a group.

 

[ProfJohn]

All I can say is give "All Things Considered" a listen and compare it to the "fair and balanced"(C) Fox News and decide for yourself which is the propoganda mill.

I listen to NPR on the way to work and it is great source of information and they provide great in-depth reporting.

But they are also very biased. You don't notice because they are biased in your direction.
Just as when you watch FOX and see a report and start fuming because the bias you see while I see their reporting (not the commentary) as very straight up and honest.

It is VERY hard to notice bias when it matches your ideas because to you it isn't bias, it is the truth.

Craig can watch MSNBC and go "these people are telling the truth" while I watch it and go "these people are nuts"

Bias is all about perspective. And you only notice it when it is going against yours.