"Experts are saying..."

[PCIntern]

I want to know WTF has happened to "journalism" ion these United States. that of course is an idiot, rhetorical question since we KNOW what has happened.

I have been treated to weeks of news stories, many of which concern nature, e.g. climate change, shark attacks, and the like, wherein the "correspondent" alludes to the statements of "experts".

Do they mean "experts" like those who swore that there were WMD's in Iraq? In traditional journalistic practice, the names of these so-called experts would be named and quoted directly. In that manner, we would know who to credit or hold accountable. Nowadays, the propaganda machine states that if you say the word "expert" or the phrase "noted authorities" then the "news" piece would be assumed to be credible to 99% of the audience "because".

Now I have to use quotation marks around the clock because it's all bullshit all the time.

[PSPS]

1. "Experts" usually means "ideological think tank person in my rolodex."

Plus the word 'experts' has seven letters which is far less work to type or say than 'cato institute,' 'american enterprise institute,' 'heritage foundation,' etc.

[malthaussen]

2. Part of the reason I don't jump on the anti-intellectualism bandwagon...

... is precisely these soi-disant "experts." I'm a reasonably well-educated man, I do not think that intellectual is ipso-facto a dirty word... but grace be, there are a lot of supposed "experts" who don't know squat yet are treated as if their every word were Wisdom. How much respect can a reasonably-intelligent individual have for such idiots?

-- Mal

[99th_Monkey]

3. Increasingly "experts" on M$M are paid shill for a major moneyed interest -nt-

[Le Taz Hot]

4. We no longer have journalists,

we have stenographers.

[hifiguy]

9. The whirriing you hear

is Cronkite, Chancellor and Murrow hitting 10,000 rpm in their graves.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. Ramen. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I ranted the other day about our local press

you see, my fair city has a small hole in the budget, 1.7 Billion...as I said, it's small, really and infrastructure is failing all over. So talk of (remove the feeble, children and women from the room please) taxes...started. So what does local media does? TAXES, PROTECT WOMEN AND CHILDREN, instead of well reading the documents. No, just showing them in camera because they showed you exclusive, freely available, I got 'em in my computer, public documents. That does not count.

I mean, reading is work, and telling people why we might have to raise taxes (we will or this city will go back to the glory days of 2002 and that crisis), well that is work. And golly, taxes is a four letter word.

Rant off.

It's safe to bring those people back now. But hey, we know about the chase in LA yesterday. Yup, it was weird how it ended, but that is 400 plus miles north. What, slow news day? Not enough accidents? Ok,ok the two alarm in La Mesa is news, but most of the if it bleeds it leads...serious a local channel had an exclusive story over a cat fight. I wish I were kidding. I turned to hubby and went, ok how is that news worthy? But while they do that, they can ignore the real story of bad governance.

[Journeyman]

6. "Experts, experts, tell me please -- who might the expert experts be?" . . .

[Uncle Joe]

7. Disclosure, connections and qualifications would definitely help.

Thanks for the thread, PCIntern.

[hifiguy]

8. The overwhelming majority of "experts" presented on the M$M

are bullshit artists of the first order. Their only skill is managing to get paid to go on camera and bloviate.

[Bluenorthwest]

10. Only An Expert...Laurie Anderson

Now only an expert can deal with the problem
Because half the problem is seeing the problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem

So if there's no expert dealing with the problem
It's really actually twice the problem
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem

And even though a county can invade another country.
And flatten it. And ruin it. And create havoc and civil war in that other country
If the experts say that it's not a problem
And everyone agrees that they're experts good at seeing problems
Then invading that country is simply not a problem.
And if a country tortures people
And holds citizens without cause or trial and sets up military tribunals
This is also not a problem.
Unless there's an expert who says it's the beginning of a problem.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem

[Populist_Prole]

11. "Critics charge however......"

"Some people say....."

I hate that appeal to BS authority crap too.

[WestCoastLib]

12. For profit journalism doesn't work

In fact "for profit" doesn't work for a lot of necessary professions, unfortunately.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Been happening a lot longer than the past few years.

"Some say..."
"It has been said...."
"Most people agree...."
"Do you agree or disagree with those who say...."

etc
are way too common methods of sticking a talking point into the conversation/interview/news without being responsible for the source.
Fox does it all the time, CNN quite often.

Interestingly, the person being talked to NEVER sit up and says "Who exactly are the some people who say that?"
which leads me to believe they are part of the set up.

reason 1215 I avoid MSM chatter for the most part.

[Vinca]

15. As I was leaving the house this morning (after watching CNN for a bit),

I gave my husband a kiss and told him I might not be back because we were all sure to be dead by the end of the day by either ISIS or sharks. Maybe ISIS sharks.