The Media?

[chromios_infinitum]

The media blows everything completely out of propotion and it pisses me off. This whole "war with Iraq/ Presiden Bush is an idiot/ "terrorism invasion"/ bioterrorism "oh no!"/ a little boy in some obscure town in the middle of nowhere gets obducted and its a really big deal" thing that the media does, disgusts me. The only news show that i can tolerate is the nightly news with Lehere (spelling?) on PBS because it actually deals with issues instead of trivial overblown facts.

my 2 cents

-Jordan

[Elric of Grans]

Hail Jordan,

What can I say? Don't read news papers, watch news broadcasts, and ignore the radio once an hour. If you do so, you never again have to put up with it. I started doing that years ago, and have not looked back. If there's anything worth actually knowing going on in the world, someone'll bring it up in conversation; if not, then it's news as normal (ie Israel and Palestine are blowing up someone, the US are giving some country a dirty look/invading, stocks went up or down, a dog got stuck up a tree, blah, blah, blah). Really, has there been any NEW news in the past century or ten? Sure, there's a few inventions, but nothing I cannot read on /. (or couldn't have back then if all the prerequisites for /. were in existance at the time). As a species, we are as stupid as we were ten thousand years ago: perhaps more so, as we believe otherwise.

[Haider]

No, Ignorance is not Bliss. You only have to select the media that suit you best. If you hate the "blown out of proportion"-thing than don't read boulevard papers and don't watch TV news. There are some good newspapers and websites, which actually report things as they are, not as they look good in TV.

[chromios_infinitum]

Could you give me the name of one other than the aformentioned PBS news?

-Jordan

[Elric of Grans]

Hail Haider,

Agreed. I don't know how many times I have wanted to quote it in full, but I always forget the second half: "Ignorance is bliss, but..." something-something. No, it's not "go crazy" :P Anywho, ignorance is not the way, but am I ignorant to what is going on in the world? No, I just avoid the mass media.

I spend a great deal of my day chatting to people: that is something I quite enjoy doing, and you pick up a lot from doing it - especially if the people you are speaking to you know a lot about any topic you do not. Anywho, before I get off track, I learn what is going on from people: I avoid all the stupidity and so forth, while still being quite aware of what is going on. I have many arab mates, including Iraqis (and a Kurd I should note), so I am far from ignorant to the Iraq issue at the moment. There's a couple of Americans living near me, so I am up with what goes on there. I've also a Russian mate, who spends most of each year in asian nations; he mostly keeps me up to date with the day-to-day events in Korea, though also China (and Taiwan) and Japan too; occationally Russia, but he hates his mother country. I have an Austrian mate, who keeps me up to date with Austria and Germany; online, I'm good mates with Americans, Canadians, Sweeds, etc. I chat with them a lot too, though individually not as much as those I can truly speak to.

Anywho, the point I am getting at, I find the best way to keep up with current events is to speak to people who are/have recently been where they are happening. After all, they have a better idea of what is going on than those in the mass media. Besides, I'm related to a few dozen journalists, and one used to be a Professor of Journalism: I think, if I cared two hoots, I could get the journalists opinion without picking up a paper, listening to a radio, or watching a TV, very easily. Last time I asked any of them for an opinion, it was on Indonesian atrocities in East Timor: I didn't know anyone from over there, so I had no choice.

Ignorance is not bliss, but there is more than one way to skin a rabbit. (see, I too can use cliches :lol: )

[WarBlade]

I'm good mates with Americans, Canadians, Sweeds, etc.

Sweeds?

Really? :blink:

[Elric of Grans]

Hail WarBlade,

What's wrong with Sweeds? :huh: I know a couple online, and they are both great blokes. One has a far greater mastery of the English language than the other, but both are quite understandable in conversation, and I enjoy talking to them. However, I have to be on rather late at night to do so, which is a bit of a pain, but when I am up anyway, I do enjoy a bit of a chat :D

[Haider]

Could you give me the name of one other than the aformentioned PBS news?

-Jordan

Well, this is the hard part, since I am from Austria and therefore get my information mostly from German speaking newspapers and websites, so it won't be too useful for you.
http://www.nzz.ch - Neue Zürcher Zeitung
http://www.derstandard.at - Der Standard
http://www.spiegel.de - Der Spiegel
http://www.monde-diplomatique.de - Le Monde diplomatique

English new sources I like:
http://news.bbc.co.uk - BBC
http://www.csmonitor.com/ - Christian Science Monitor, despite its religious bias
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/ - Foreign Affairs
http://www.iiss.org/ - International Institute for Strategic Studies
http://www.i-a-j.org/ - Alliance Internationale pour la Justice

and sometimes:
http://www.washingtonpost.com - Washington Post
http://www.newyorktimes.com - New York Times
http://www.latimes.com - LA Times
http://www.guardian.co.uk - The Guardian

[Whiggles]

What's wrong with Sweeds?

I think he was referring to the fact that it is actually spelt "Swedes". <_<

[--Pete]

Hi,

Haider has given you a more extensive list of sources than I would have. A number of the newspapers he mentioned are available online for free, although you do have to sign up for them. Check them out.

If you want to get your news from radio or TV, then you'll mostly get crap. Even many newspapers are not worth the trees that died. But there are reasonable sources.

For fast breaking news, CNN and Fox are slightly useful. They'll often give you visuals in real time accompanied by trivial or incorrect (or, most often, trivially incorrect) commentary. You'll often get more of value from them if you turn the sound off.

--Pete

[WarBlade]

Hail WarBlade,

What's wrong with Sweeds? :huh:

Other than that there's no such thing? :lol:

"Swedes" :P ;)

BTW, Last year I caught two guys refering to swedes as "swedens" so you're not alone. :lol:

[monkeycid]

As long as you don't think we're from Switzerland it's all ok. Really.

If you're able to read the Swedish language, Dagens Nyheter tells the truth, most of the time.

[Elric of Grans]

Hail WarBlade,

That's how I pronounce it: I lengthen the 'e', so is that a good enough excuse? ;) Thanks: I didn't realise that actually :)

[Dani]

For fast breaking news, CNN and Fox are slightly useful.&nbsp; They'll often give you visuals in real time accompanied by trivial or incorrect (or, most often, trivially incorrect) commentary.&nbsp; You'll often get more of value from them if you turn the sound off.

Yup, CNN is good for "CNN Live Event" only. And then, probably only if it's some kind of political forum. Ie. UNSC discussions, President addressing congress etc. Not sure how it's in CNN USA...I obviously get CNN International.

BBCNews, if you can get it, tends to editorialize in a less obstructive manner. BBCNews Hard Talk is the only "interview"-show that I think worth watching. (well, of those that people might recognize anyways)

[Occhidiangela]

. . . The Economist?

I realize that it has a bit if a slant toward economic forces, and is not "purely objective" but I find its reporting a refreshing change from the McNews I get at American Newsstands.

[[wcip]Angel]

You said:
Is it just me or does "the Media" suxxor?

Shouldn't it be

- Is it just me or does the Media "suxxor?"

Or, even better "suck"? (or "sucks". Yes, you can use both. Read on...)

"The Media" is the plural of "a medium".

singular
1. I suck
2. you suck
3. he/she/it sucks

Plural
1. we suck
2. you suck
3. they suck

Now, as I mentioned, "The media" is plural, and it's 3rd person. "They suck" = "The Media suck"

However, in this case you're probably not referring to all the media out there, every television network, every newspaper and radio station. You're probably talking about "the media" as a cohesive abstract unity, and can thus be replaced by "it", as in "it sucks" or "the media sucks".

you can say "the media sucks" and "the media suck".

Last time I checked "suxxor" is not a word, and last I checked, this wasn't the battlenet-trade channel.

If you're using "suxxor", you're using it in a derogatory way. By saying "suxxor", you're launching a sarcastic attack at people who really use "suxxor" as a word. Now, if you're not aware of it, then you're really embarrassing yourself. Please become of this distinction.

I've added a small line of text to my config.cfg-file for Counterstrike and whenver someome says "Rofl Mao", I press a key and the screen reads:

"[wcip]Angel : You know Rolf Mao too? He's a good friend of mine. A bit of a communist, but still a nice guy."

Thank you for your attention.

- [wcip]Angel
* Proud member of the A-/S-F - Anti-/Skill-Foundation ***

* Proud founder of ASMA - Anti-/StatsMe Association ***

* Proud founder of the ALSF - Anti-LeetSpeech-Federation ***

[AtomicKitKat]

[wcip]Angel: :D

[lemekim]

The only news I watch lately is "The Daily Show"... It both informs me of the latest events AND makes fun of them. And since they make fun of everyone without much distinction, it tends to be less biased... :lol:

[Kharohz]

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