Why we love the media

[DutchmenSport]

I'm confused over this entire threat. I just don't get what's going on. I suppose I'm probably better off that way too. I retired and now simply don't give a rip about anything. I don't see the humor, or the sarcasm. I'm clueless.

 

[carolyncaro]

I will chime in on this thread, for fun. Many moons ago /before nursing - I considered journalism. I believe communication ie news/ info/click bait/ what ever you wish to call it has changed drastically -or I HAVE become more “jaded” or “aware” depending on who you ask.
Information (good or bad) zooms at the speed of light. Propaganda, or a sales pitch can also travel at the speed of light. Advertisers do pay for news, always have. And of course mass media, in what ever form it takes, print, online, tv,radio, affects how people see their world.
Your own prior knowledge, and experiences can help inform you -or lead you down the garden path. “Source” is of course very important but so is your “own” knowledge base or actions in seeking out information!
Fun stuff, or that which keeps you sleepless. Who can say?

 

[Reinigm]

I loved the ending sentence in my farm newsletter on land prices. “This outlook could be altered at any moment due to unexpected changes in a multitude of factors.”

Well, that about covers anything and everything, huh.

I believe Orwell referred to that as "doublespeak", didn't he?

 

[winona]

Certainly “weasel words” for sure!

 

[Ex-Calif]

If you believe the folklore the TV news was a loss leader for the stations. Sometime in the mid 60s it was decided that the news had to make money.

Then along came cable tv and the 24 hour news cycle. It's all about capturing eyeballs.

I have one basic rule - If a single head is reading to you it is possibly news. If more than one head is on screen it's opinion.

 

[jymbee]

It's all about capturing eyeballs.

Absolutely. And for the most part, if they don't have video-- it didn't happen. A story, no matter how insignificant, will make the news long before a much more important story-- if there is compelling (cute, funny, dramatic, horrific, etc... ) video of some kind.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

It's been going on for a long time as per this podcast:

"PODCAST (EPISODE 335) In the 1890s, powerful New York publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst engaged in an all-out battle for daily readers of their respective newspapers, developing a flamboyant, sensational style of coverage today referred to as ‘yellow journalism’.

 

[carolyncaro]

It's been going on for a long time as per this podcast:

"PODCAST (EPISODE 335) In the 1890s, powerful New York publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst engaged in an all-out battle for daily readers of their respective newspapers, developing a flamboyant, sensational style of coverage today referred to as ‘yellow journalism’.

You know I think perhaps you could be correct, even the weather stations have gotten in to a “grab your attention” verbiage Ie we don’t have heavy rains we have torrential rivers

 

[SeilerBird]

I have been living in Florida for ten years now and during springtime there is always some brilliant news sources predicting a very heavy season of hurricanes. And naturally they usually site climate change as one of the major factors contributing to the reason for more hurricanes. I have yet to hear of any news source predicting a less than average hurricane season. So far this year there have been zero hurricanes and only three storms. And we are more than halfway through the official hurricane season this year.

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season will be more active than usual, researchers say

At least nine hurricanes are predicted by researchers at Colorado State University. Four of those are expected to be Category 3 or higher.

www.npr.org

 

[jymbee]

You know I think perhaps you could be correct, even the weather stations have gotten in to a “grab your attention” verbiage Ie we don’t have heavy rains we have torrential rivers

It used to be forecasters would describe the scope of a weather "event" in terms of how many states (in the US) were impacted. These days they can overlay any kind of pattern as another layer on a map an instantly and breathlessly report just how many millions are impacted. A figure of ten million is much more dramatic than just saying 5 states e.g..

 

[PJ Stough]

Everything a station broadcasts is intended for us the listener or the viewer.
As Pogo used to say, "We have seen the enemy, and he is us."
If more people were more discerning, what broadcasters do to grab and hold our attention would not work.

 

[Reinigm]

That's why so many stations hire good looking female forecasters. It's to distract you from the weather truth. But then again, here in So Cal it never rains. It used to, but they concreted everything in so it doesn't condense like it used to.

 

[SeilerBird]

 

[Reinigm]

When i was a kid, the weather people referred to So Cal rain as "California Sunshine". It was nothing to get heavy rain for several days and heavy flooding. Even in the summer when the Mexican Monsoons used to come up. Now, rain is rare but we still get the Hurricane swells from down south. Had a big one last week. Good waves.

 

[Joezeppy]

That's why so many stations hire good looking female forecasters. It's to distract you from the weather truth.

Hahaha - we have one like that here in Utica, NY on the morning news. Wife says she has a monotone voice and just drones on with no personality. I watch her forecast every morning but have never actually heard a word she has said!