Breaking News or Broken News
What is happening with the trust the press was given to report accurate information? I read some stats that are very revealing as to how the media has taken on a very Liberal slant and has done so at least since Reagan. Take these stats: Ronald Reagan inherited Carter’s 21% plus interest rates, 81/2% unemployment, a government created gas shortage and rationing, a system called the Misery Index that measured the hardship everyone was going through and successfully laid the blame straight out of the gate on Reagan’s shoulders. The negative stories on Reagan in his first year in office[?], 91%!
In the Reagan years it was norm for the press to add that if you count all those who have given up looking for work, have run out of unemployment benefits, or are students which want work but live at home thus not counted, that the “Real Unemployment” was 12%.
So far in Obama’s first year in office only 7% of the stories about him and his performance are negative.
Obama, with the press’s backing, has blamed Bush too many times to count with full agreement and no question from the press; unemployment has gone past the 8% he said the Stimulus would not let it pass to an eye popping 9.7% with little mention let alone utilizing the “Real Unemployment” formula that shows it at a staggering 17%!
For a people to make real decisions real information needs to be assimilated and no matter who is in office or no matter their popularity it is important that the press measures them with a questioning eye.
Am I right? I’m damn write!
2 Comments
October 12, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Every time I’ve been involved in something that made it into newspaper or video based news reports the “facts” were distorted to represent the reporter’s or editor’s point of view. Every business administrator I’ve ever worked for that asked me to assemble data “disappeared” any data that did not support his point of view. It’s a part of being an American business person. Their job first and foremost is to make money. Ignoring facts and blindly following your predispositions in your efforts to grab a buck is an American tradition. When a liberal or conservative see their polar opposite using deception to promote their cause they feel justification to fight fire with fire. Unfortunately Americans also adore sensationalism. Boring stories filled with facts and raw data about middle ground ideas won’t sell millions of copies of the Inquirer or draw listeners to Mr. Limbaugh’s radio show. As the Inquirer and Mr. Limbaugh’s radio shows are currently profitable and “respectable” news outlets are not, the non-profitable businesses must become more similar to their profitable cousins or die. This is obviously what the American public wants as their loudest voice is they one that speaks in dollars. Money is the pride and joy of the most powerful people in our world. It is the very reason we continue to exist.
In a blatant disregard for any hope of ever being perceived an even a little bit cool, I exit with this statement (and you can quote me) “Each day we become more Cardassian.” (for those non-nerds amongst us it’s a Star Trek derived word).
October 12, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Damn, you need to start a blog!
JBT
i go now