Thoughts on solving our Media Problem... suggestions?

[The Animator]

The biggest problem facing our country today is not health care, the economy, or the Iraq or Afghanistan Wars...

It's ignorance. Large numbers of people protesting on the street with little to no knowledge of what they're talking about. Our representatives feel like they have to give ground because public opposition is so intense. The only reason the opposition is so fierce is because public has been lied too. Our media has become so sensationalized, that outright lies are told constantly. It's now normal to counter rational, well thought out debate with complete fabrications. You can't win an argument based on logic when your opponent pulls is counter argument out of his ass. This happens so frequently now because there are absolutely no consequences.

None... You can lie your ass off on national television, and when no one calls you on it, it becomes a generally excepted truth. I think that should change. This country's success depends on it's citizens being well informed. I believe our media, through lowered expectations, inaccuracies, and misinformation, have become a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States.

Possibly laying heavy fines on any show, or network, that uses "NEWS" in it's title, yet doesn't adhere to journalistic ethics standards.

Standards like:
Don't mix editorial with facts. All too often these days, the bare facts are not presented by themselves, like they should be. They are often garnished by a mix of speculation, and colored by opinion. When presented in this fashion, it is difficult to distinguish between what is pure fact, and what is speculation.

Example:

Pure fact is the straight scoop. No embellishments. "the sky is blue now, this morning it was a mixture of reds purples, and oranges."
Pure fact = "President Barack Obama will be delivering a televised address about education. It will be aired in public schools nationwide."

Speculation is essentially a guess. It is usually identified by key phrases like "I'll bet" or "I'm guessing that"...
Speculation = "The press release says it's about education, but I'll bet he will sneak a bit about healthcare reform in there somewhere."

Opinion is a personal belief, or thought. it is usually identified by key phrases like "I think" or "I believe".
Opinion = "I believe this is nothing but a blatant attempt to push his agenda on us by influencing our children."

Opinion and Speculation delivered as fact is really confusing, and sometimes purposely misleading. There are no key words or phrases to identify the statements as opinion or speculation. There presentation, though not based on fact, are delivered as such.
Opinion and Speculation delivered as fact = "Barack Obama is leading a bunch of Muslim Nazi Communists in a coup against our government! He's going to indoctrinate our children! You need to panic and lock yourselves in your basements and wrap your family up with plastic sheeting and duct tape."

If you have an opinion about something, save it for the editorial segment. You know, the part that was usually preceded by a statement like "The following opinion does not necessarily reflect the opinion of this show, this station, or our sponsors..etc"


A simple standard like that could be enforceable. It would also curb Fox's ability to mislead others... no doubt they will still try.

[NecklyTyler]

1. A little truthful rebuttal to the non-stop talk radio rabble-rousers would help

Allowing the other side to speak on the publicly owned air waves to offset the right wing lie machine in a timely manner would be helpful in evening things out. For 12 hours a day, five days a week, there are three radio stations in my town that just spew right wing garbage with absolutely no rebuttal offered in a timely manner. This constant attack on good Democrats is having an effect here and needs to be addressed

[appamado amata padam]

2. I don't know about that...

I don't think it would be practical to try to parse every sentence of every newscast. We don't want to make every person who appears on a news show to be afraid to speak their mind, and stifle vigorous debate.

I don't think it's always so clear-cut to differentiate between facts/opinions/speculation. A lot of stuff is reported on while it is still in progress, and often whether something is a fact is not established yet. People now expect every little detail ASAP.

And whether a program has the word "news" or not, people accept it as such whenever they see the desks, graphics, etc. typical to news shows.

These shows are giving a lot of people what they want, or else the networks wouldn't be doing it. In a relatively open society like ours, the government can't always do a lot to stand between the product and the consumer, no matter how bad it is for them.

I think all we can do is just to keep focussing on education, and raising people to be independent, critical thinkers. If more people were more selective about what sources they trust, and what they're willing to believe, the networks would provide better information.

Just my take. Peace.

[The Animator]

3. My main point of contention is this...

The current state of journalism in this country is such that it is interfering with the actual democratic process. Our reps are backing off on legislation because so many people are clearly pissed. However, what these people are pissed off about has absolutely nothing to do with anything that resembles reality. They are pissed because they believe everything they see on TV, and the TV has aired a bunch of BS with the expressed purpose of making them pissed.

I don't have any problem with people opposing the actions of their government if they believe that their government is not acting in the best interests of it's citizens. That's part of democracy, and it's part of what makes this country great. Is it too much to ask though, that they get their facts straight before lighting their torches and pitch forks?

Here's a little exaggeration for comic effect, but it could illustrate this point just as well:

Obama: "I am making it the top priority of this government to provide every citizen of this country with affordable access to health care. That's why I'm proposing H-007somthingorother"


TV: "Obama has instituted a new piece of legislation that will spell doom for freedom loving Americans everywhere. Article 86 0f H-007somthingorother requires that all families surrender their first born children to the Obama Administration so that the President may slaughter them in a mass blood letting ritual. This is obviously a Muslin fertility ceremony he learned in Kenya. Apparently it will him endow him with great stamina, which will come in handy when they begin enforcing Article 69, which grants the President the power to enter your home, and have sex with all the women in your house. You won't be able to do anything about it, because if you so much as look at him crosswise while he does Gramma, you will be locked away in a gulag."

Teabagger 1: "Did you hear that? I'm outraged!!11! No way are we going to let them get away with this!!1! I'm not going to let him slaughter my Little Dale!"

Teabagger 2: "Damn right we won't!! By God, just the thought of that big powerful man having his way with Bobby-Jo!!1!!!"

Teabagger 3: "Hey!! I just heard Fox News is saying we should all go to this big spontaneous rally right after 9/11 to voice our completely genuine concerns about our government!!"

All Three Teabaggers: "To D.C.!!1111!!!! Bring your signs, chew, and assault rifles."

Dem Rep: "I'm so glad everyone came to participate in this importa----"

Teabagger: "You BASTURDS!!1! I can't believe you think I'm gonna let Obama kill my baby!"

Dem Rep: "Wha?..."

Teabagger: "You're NEVER gonna sleep with My GranGran!!"

Dem Rep: "What the hell are you nutters talking about?"

Teabaggers: "Don't you insult our intela- intellia- interli- Don't inslut our smarts you moran! We know h-007sothingorother is just a vast left wing conspiracy to undermine our rights!"

Dem Rep: "Guys really I have no idea where you getting these ide--"

Teabaggers: "If you try and pass that law every single one of us is gonna---"

Dem Rep: "Okay Okay, I get the idea! I didn't think you guys were gonna get so pissed... sheesh, we'll take another look at the bill and see if we can't make a few more compromises..."

Teabagger 1: "We Win!!11!!! We don't even have to outnumber our opponents, we just have to shout louder.. still I'm amazed at how many like minded individuals turned out for this completely impromptu demonstration of pubic outrage."

Teabagger 2: "How many people do you think are here 30? 40?"

Teabagger 3: "Naw man, it's more like millions... it said so on TV..."

[The Animator]

10. Sweet Jesus after readin this post again, I really think I ought to wirite a play...

"Dirty Politics" coming to a performing arts center near you... ;P

[appamado amata padam]

11. I know it's distressing,

but I think that most of these teabaggers, etc we are seeing are just freaked out because a black man is President. They are looking for any excuse to go berserk. I know they take their cues from Fox and Rush et al, but I think if pressed, very few could give an intelligible, point-by-point report of what they heard on the "news." Whether it comes from a news segment, or an opinion piece, these people are going to take it and run, and distort it into their own little crusade, and feel proud of themselves for it. I think there will always be fools that allow themselves to be used like this, just for the drama and excitement. If their corporate dogkeepers don't find them via TV or radio, they will by "teh interwebs" or some other way. Personally, I think a lot of this element is dying off, and things will be much better in a few years. Let's just hope they don't accomplish their violent aims before that.

There are libel, slander, etc laws in place to protect individuals from false accusations and misrepresentations. I don't know how they apply to public figures or political discourse, but maybe a similar case-by-case approach could be made to these "news" reports. I think that so far, Obama is trying to "rise above," and counter these misrepresentations with calm reason. We never had these people on our side, anyway. It seems that Obama thinks it's not too much of an urgent priority to win them over, especially since the GOP is already alienating most of the sane people they had left.

I think the "state of journalism" is not something that can be legislated; then it just becomes propaganda. I think it will take more people educating themselves, calling the media's BS, and demanding facts. The Sarah Palin story is a good example of that. If she had come along 20 years ago, she probably would have gotten in, along with McCain.

Yikes!

[spanone]

4. corporate america i.e. the likes of rupert murdoch control the message

general electric, disney, news corporation....

[BlooInBloo]

5. "lied to"; and no, I don't support restricting free speech further because of idiots...

If idiots are the problem (and they are), don't restrict people's speech - stop fucking making idiots.

[Hawkeye-X]

6. Reinstate Fairness Doctrine, with modification to cable/Internet.

Just a guess.

[Nye Bevan]

8. I wouldn't go there

You want Skinner to be forced to give right-of-reply to Repukes in order to make DU "balanced"? The Internet makes the Fairness Doctrine obsolete. Nobody has to watch cable or network news if they don't want to. I haven't in years.

[The Stranger]

12. And a correct guess at that.

The fairness doctrine does not apply to the Internet, but to broadcasters who use the airwaves governed by the FCC, and very probably regulated cable programming as well.

I'll bet Barack Obama is right now regretting opposing its reinstatement.

[TxRider]

7. repeal the first amendment?

[The Animator]

9. I'll be the first to agree this particular suggestion treads on very slippery ground...

I've always been a strong advocate of free speech, so I was hesitant to suggest this course of action. I just couldn't think of any other way to keep the constant distortions from supposedly trustworthy sources from doing irreparable damage to our democracy. My original suggestion could invariably be used against us if and when the Neocons ever return to power. It would not take a very big stretch to use such a regulation to quash decent.

I think your idea is better Bloo. America needs to stop producing surplus idiots, we've already got more than enough. It's going to have to come down to education. Maybe a media literacy course. Basically BS detector 101. A history of yellow journalism, from the Spanish-American War, to Now. Teaching the difference between rational and emotional arguments, as well as other techniques used to mislead, or provoke. It will go a long way, though the results are decidedly long term.