OT: Eithics and the new NEWS

[Fyron]

Where is the killer bee invasion?

[Slynky]

Now you are going to get me started!

I don't listen to the news for several reasons:

1- Inaccuracy I can still remember when an escaped convict was running around our county several years back. I tuned to see if they had caught him yet. Finally, they did. Cornered him in the basement, handcuffed him, and took him away. Of course, looking for more info on the story right in our "back yard", I tuned to another station to hear them reporting he had been captured in the attic of the house. But that's not an isolated example. Over and over, you can hear different death tolls from accidents, or money taken from a bank, or the number of people at a rally. You really just can't believe but about half of what you hear or read.

2- Hype and Exaggeration As mentioned earlier...the weather is a prime example. In Atlanta, the favorite thing to say is, "Could there be snow in the forcast? Tune in at 11 to see." And the names of things when a few clouds appear on the horizon..."Stormwatch 2004" where the crew rolls up their sleeves and promises to keep us informed all night long of developments.

3- The Hooks You know what I'm talking about. "Is the Internet endangering the life of your 13-year-old daughter? See our story later on for a warning!" Followed by, "... story coming up!" Then, the "...after this word from our sponsor!" And even then, the first story up after the commercial isn't what they have been baiting you with. Actually, even when they say, "next", it isn't necessarily next.

4- Sports and Weather Yeah, I know I'm un-American and lack all manner of male libido when I say sports takes up too much time. In a 30 minute show, approximately, in America, 20 minutes of it is for actually content and 10 minutes is for commercials. OF that 20 minutes, they devote about 8-9 minutes to news, 3-4 minutes to weather, 4-5 minutes to sports, and the remaining 2-3 minutes to human interest. That's just too much. Sports is a waste and I can reduce the weather to about a 20-second report when I relay it to my wife. "Rain supposed to be coming in tomorrow afternoon or evening. Won't freeze, though. Next day's supposed to be nicer, though...I think they said in the 50s." There! Done!

5- Live Reporting There's an aggravation for sure! Would someone please explain to me what the point is of the average live report!?!? Say a robber has been shot and taken to the hospital. The stations says, "And now, for a live report, we take you to 'fillin the blank'!" Then we see 'fillin the blank' standing in front of the hospital. There, 'fillin the blank' recites facts that happened hours ago. BUT, it's a live report! Meaning it's being filmed even as we watch! Of course, forget the fact that the facts are no more pertinent than they would have been had it been reported from behind the desk!

6- Home Town Connection Another one that pi$$es me off! It goes a little like this: "An Arabian Airliner went down over the ocean and up to 200 lives are feared to be lost." (That's about it) BUT, just let them find out someone from Georgia--or even better yet, Atlanta--was on the plane! Then you can get another minute on the crash...of course, it's usually only a picture of the family, a report of why he was on the plane, etc. What amazes me is how news is hardly worth mentioning unless someone from the "center of the world--Georgia or Atlanta" is somehow in it.

Like I said, don't get me started! I'm not even sure how they look at themselves in the mirror. Throw them in the pig pen with lawyers, used car salesmen, and telemarketers for all I care!

[General Woundwort]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Where is the killer bee invasion?

It will get here just about the time the next Ice Age hits. No joke - I remember about the same time people were hyping the killer bees, they were also talking about global cooling and the advent of a new glacial period. My, how fads change in the space of a few decades...

[rextorres]

I don't watch broadcast news cause it sucks so I'll continue the digression.

We are overdue for the next ice age - based on core samples from the glaciers - the Last 11K years have been a relatively long time between the ice ages allowing humans to develop a civilization other than hunter gatherers.

An interesting idea is that Civilization - as we know it - could have developed in any interglacial period in the Last several hundred thousand years if there had been enough time. In other warm periods as soon as any hunter gatherers decided to venture out of his cave it got cold again.

A scary side note is that data shows that global cooling happens fairly rapidly in as little as a few decades.

No one knows how the green house gases will affect this ice age cycle but some scientists suggest that global warming is actually a precursor to global cooling. Global warming would shut down the gulf stream causing the northern latitudes to freeze.

Anyway I would place my bet on an ice age over runaway global warming due to green house gases as the likeliest global catastrophe.

[ February 19, 2004, 21:21: Message edited by: rextorres ]

[Rojero]

Now that we have the technology to actually survive the next ice age. Who do you think will be chosen to survive?

[Renegade 13]

Originally posted by se5a:
well said AT!
hell we have some nasty flooding going on in NZ, why dont they report that!

I heard about that! (a small 20 second blip 3/4 of the way through the news ) And I bet you didn't hear about our massive forest fires and flooding this year in British Columbia, Canada did you?

Anyways, I agree with you all. The news is mostly a waste of time.

[ February 19, 2004, 23:31: Message edited by: Renegade 13 ]

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Renegade 13:

quote:

---

Originally posted by se5a:
well said AT!
hell we have some nasty flooding going on in NZ, why dont they report that!

I heard about that! (a small 20 second blip 3/4 of the way through the news ) And I bet you didn't hear about our massive forest fires and flooding this year in British Columbia, Canada did you?

Anyways, I agree with you all. The news is mostly a waste of time.

---

To both of you, no we have not heard anything about them because they HAVE NOT been reported. God I hate the news channels here!

[narf poit chez BOOM]

i suggest the creation of a world-wide forum and bypass the news networks.

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Karibu:
Here in Finland some "public moral guardians" got idea that japanese comic called Dragonball Z is encouraging people for pedophilia because there is child like figures with boobs and in sexual positions.

A guy in Camas was charged with possesion of child porn because he had a couple of Japanese catoon magazines and or a cartoon movie. It was thrown out of court. The judge said it does not count since it is a CHILDS magazine. Duhhhhhh. However the local news totaly protrayed this guys as a sex creep. Even after it was known that he was wrongfully charged they never recanted anything they said about the man. He lost everything and committed suicide a few years back.

You all are right, the news had degenerated into accomodating the simple mind folks who are often to occupied with their own lifes challenges to pay attention to real news, so they opt to go with the Jerry Springer, trash tabliod, mountain out of mole hills, ultra sensationalized FUBAR news to draw their interest.

Leading stories on the local news were mostly about the man said hello to a young girl, cops called. This guy yelled at a young boy, cops called. Then they decided to play cop and went on line and talked to people on chats and got a few dumb asses to show up at some location and then revieled it was a news investigation into on line predators. Then they try and sell that **** to poeple by showing some chat Messages that could have been from the guy in the next room for all we know. These poor dumb bastards all said that they were asked to show up by a friend, not expecting to be pegged as devants. Now if there were on line stalkers, then hell ya, bust em, but LEAVE that to the professionals at the POLICE! Not some new show out to grab Ratings at the expense of human sufforing!

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
i suggest the creation of a world-wide forum and bypass the news networks.

Narf I wish it could be done, but any one who belongs to that forum would be put on the Governments terrorist watch list and would be prohibitted from flying on airplanes, obtaining government work, and entering the US. No, it is better to just keep it low key. WHAT IN THE HELL AM I SAYING?!!! Have I grown that fearful of my right to free speech that I am afraid to joined a forum dedicated to preserving the truth? What in Gods name has happened here?

Why should I be afraid to say the truth? Why should I be fearful of being branded electronically as a terrorist threat because my own Government has turned toltarian. No offense to Bush, but he is just being advised by some dark people these days.