The Media. What do you think about it?

[MrPlum]

I think there's several interesting topics here but I'll leave you to work it out...

What media organizations or shows do you trust?

Are there any that you truly consider 'fair and balanced'? If you think it's mostly propaganda who are the worst offenders?

Are the media now just stenographers for the government?

What was the most blatant media lie you can recall? What was the best bit of journalism you can recall?

Do you have a favourite presenter?

Would you agree that everything in journalism is now tightly scripted and controlled... such as with 'embedded journalism' and there is no more investigative journalism, just celebrity crap. Bread and 'Circuses' for the herd?

If you don't trust the corporate media, where are you getting your 'facts'?

Are left-leaning media really 'left' or are they just less 'right' than extreme 'right'. The same with the s-called 'liberal' press. eg. Is the New York Times really liberal?

Do you believe a story when it's source is claimed to be a government 'insider'? Or 'sources within the company' or 'sources within the gov say'? Why do they never name these sources?

Are you allowing the media to put you into a 'left' or 'right' box or are you simply interested in the truth?
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'Nearly all men die of their medicines, not of their diseases.' Moliere

[migrant]

To be honest, I take all public news with a grain of salt. I think if you search enough, you can find all sides of any argument.

I read, I digest, I comprehend, but believe only a small part.

Jaded, and sad, but that's me

[spitfire]

Often I find myself trying to read between the lines and thinking about the motivation of those invoved in events.

Agree that every side can be found and some angles are just better presented. Might be being cynical here but the media and truth are not very compatable, but many believe them.

I'm a great believer in 'People believe what makes them feel comfortable'.
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Friendly fire - Isn't.

Nothing is absolute, apart from vodka.

[sargeant]

My problem is trying to work out who tells the biggest lies the media, the polititions, the lawyers.
It is all a merry go round of BS sound bites and lies plus a smattering of cherry picked statistics
I am afraid i tend to use my 61 years of life experience which means crap goes in and occasionally the truth comes out
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A Greatfull Guest of Thailand

[spitfire]

Yeah, I'll go with that Sarge and statistics are rather like a bikini, shows you a little bit but what you really want to see is hidden.


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Friendly fire - Isn't.

Nothing is absolute, apart from vodka.

[buksida]

I work for the media so can tell you that each and every publication has their own slant on things to varying degrees - its up to the people to choose what publications to read and what opinion to adopt for themselves. Reading pro and anti government papers should give you enough to form your own opinion.

Nobody is "fair and balanced" in this day and age.

There is also a great deal of pressure from governments on media, this is why sources are often not named and issues can be skirted. How many times did Thaksin sue the press because they printed something about him he didn't like? If you want to stay in business (especially in this country) sometimes you have to tow the line, even if it goes against all of your principals and loyalties.

It is also very easy to be critical when its not your name there in black and white.
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Luctor et Emergo

[sargeant]

Buksi what you say is 100% correct but it does not excuse the fact that people buy the media in whatever form to inform themselves of FACTS to glibly say that the public should choose the media they want because they all have a slant is exactely why the media has failed in its main responsibility of educating the people in what is really going on and that means in particular political & religious areas
The statements like it is in the public interest is the biggest lie Britney Spears sex life may be of interest to some But hard news is more responsible and educational and that is why I have lost faith in the media.
Political news is news and should be written as fact but as Bill ORielly shows he is a journalist when it suits him a commentator when he is selling his propaganda or when he is caught bending the facts.Trying to work out which is which is almost impossible for some
The main problem I have with the media is that these unelected self appointed owners,editors and reporters seem to think they know what is best for the public or deliberately manipulate the facts for their own political ends (and that is not news its propaganda)
The media has always had them but they were in some ways held in check now it’s the majority and anything goes for circulation or ratings and that includes out and outright lies
I will agree countries like Thailand and Mr T/polititions make it very difficult but only education and facts will get any real change propaganda just makes it worse because no one knows what is truth facts propaganda or lies IMHO
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A Greatfull Guest of Thailand

[Super Joe]

Migrant wrote:

[sargeant]

I agree that is what one has to do
the reason we will never see a 100% fact zero opinion zero slant media is because nobody would buy it it would not sell because it wouldnt fit with any individual purchasers ideals

and it would probably be boring as well
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A Greatfull Guest of Thailand

[buksida]

In this day and age with the internet there should be no excuse - if you want facts they're easily and readily available.

When governments (such as this one) actively censor the internet and prevent their population gaining the facts they should be the ones held accountable, not the media.
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Luctor et Emergo

[sargeant]

Glad you put so much faith in the internet I dont
one says 80 killed two says 100 killed three says 120 killed which one of them is fact cos for sure 2 of them are BS
I am trying to remember if there has ever been a battle or shootout in Iraq or Afghanistan when the US side has taken casualties and NOT inflicted higher deaths wounded and captured on the enemy

Buksi much as you like to pile on this and the last govt i am absolutely certain they dont run fox news a more slanted media outlet is hard to find and a near perfect example of what i am talking about

The media here is not even vaguely comparable to moscow or zimbabwe its not good and needs to be fully open as it should be everywhere it should also only print the truth as it should all over the world
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A Greatfull Guest of Thailand

[buksida]

[sargeant]

Well at least we agree that govt should be banned from any media interest IMHO because as i say they are just propaganda
As for govt free of corruption that aint happened anywhere in the world yet so i am not holding my breath

What is needed is (and there dont seem to be any at the moment) is free impartial unbiased media first and foremost to root out the corruption honestly and subject it to the glare of publicity
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A Greatfull Guest of Thailand

[hhfarang]

Most shows on cable news stations are classified by the commentators themselves as opinion, not news. The main news show on each channel, usually once a day with a well known anchor are supposed to be unbiased news, as are the front pages of newspapers (they have the Op-Ed pages for opinion).

The problem is that the shows that are supposed to be unbiased news on both cable and network and the front pages of papers like the New York Times and most others have given way to printing news slanted by the opinion of the owner, organization, or author.

I'm not sure there are any truly unbiased news organizations today. They all vie for advertising and ratings so they will say or print whatever it takes to get more money and higher ratings.

At least FOX has someone from both sides having a lively debate on most of their programs. It's entertaining if not news.

[BaaBaa.]