At the recent World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI), an international peoples initiative seeking the truth about the war and occupation in Iraq the following comment was made by Dr. Peter Philips, director of
'Project Censured' at Sonoma State University in California.
"U.S. society has become the least informed, best entertained society in the world."
Now i know there are some extremly well informed members of RHP that are American but i was just wondering what are peoples views on this?
And also as an aside, what is your main source of news on a daily basis and do you think it operates with a bias?
Originally posted by dk3nnyWhy single out the US?
At the recent World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI), an international peoples initiative seeking the truth about the war and occupation in Iraq the following comment was made by Dr. Peter Philips, director of
'Project Censured' at Sonoma State University in California.
"U.S. society has become the least informed, best entertained society in the world."
Now ...[text shortened]... ide, what is your main source of news on a daily basis and do you think it operates with a bias?
TV news fills out the gap between commercials. You put on what your target audience wants to watch. Evedrywhere is much the same.
Originally posted by steerpikeWell, i was asking for discussion on the comment made but the discussion doesn't have to just look at the US media..
Why single out the US?
TV news fills out the gap between commercials. You put on what your target audience wants to watch. Evedrywhere is much the same.
Thats why i was wondering what news sources people use and what are the opinions of its news quality and objectivness.
I'm more interested in seeing the polarity of what RHPers believe is the "truth" if there is such a thing.
Personally i would use the BBC, the guardian and the Irish times quite a lot, although i do think the guardian can be a little too leftwing at times, i believe most of what i would read/see on the BBC and the irish times.
I'm not saying there isn't a bias there, i guess its just that it probably aligns quite nicely with my world view so i think of it as true.
Originally posted by steerpikeThats why i would personally think that news channels with no commercial interest i.e BBC == no adds, the guardian == not for profit newspaper, generally have less pressure to publish views in the corporate or governmental interest.
TV news fills out the gap between commercials. You put on what your target audience wants to watch. Evedrywhere is much the same.
Would you agree? Does that make them more accurate or less out of tune with the world view?
I agree. People are fed pop idol and the like, and seem to be kept in line while being entertained. Much like the way the British government halfed the price of beer in 1918 - so that the people, especially the troops coming back from the trenches, wouldn't get their heads filled with any of those dangerous ideas about revolution.
I'm a BBC online, Guardian Unlimited (ie online Guardian), Glasgow Herald and Scottish Socialist Voice person. Rarely buy a paper daily newspaper these days.
Originally posted by dk3nnyI have a friend who answers 'Complete faith in the BBC' when asked about his religious alignment. I read their website regularly, and while I trust them more than anything Murdochian, I find views such as my friend's a bit disturbing (he is in fact serious about this).
At the recent World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI), an international peoples initiative seeking the truth about the war and occupation in Iraq the following comment was made by Dr. Peter Philips, director of
'Project Censured' at Sonoma State University in California.
"U.S. society has become the least informed, best entertained society in the world."
Now ...[text shortened]... ide, what is your main source of news on a daily basis and do you think it operates with a bias?
Originally posted by dk3nnyNPR (National Public Radio), CNN (TV and their website), Times-Dispatch (local newspaper).
At the recent World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI), an international peoples initiative seeking the truth about the war and occupation in Iraq the following comment was made by Dr. Peter Philips, director of
'Project Censured' at Sonoma State University in California.
"U.S. society has become the least informed, best entertained society in the world."
Now ...[text shortened]... ide, what is your main source of news on a daily basis and do you think it operates with a bias?
Originally posted by dk3nnyIvanhoe.
At the recent World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI), an international peoples initiative seeking the truth about the war and occupation in Iraq the following comment was made by Dr. Peter Philips, director of
'Project Censured' at Sonoma State University in California.
"U.S. society has become the least informed, best entertained society in the world."
Now ...[text shortened]... ide, what is your main source of news on a daily basis and do you think it operates with a bias?
Originally posted by dk3nnyNorth Korea? Russia? There are plenty of countries with worse news outlets than the US. What is unusual about the US is that people are so ill-informed in a country where the press is theoretically very free indeed. Although US governments (like all governments) have tried to exert control over the media, they've done it in a pretty gentle way by international standards: look at Berlusconi's virtual media monopoly or the strict censorship laws in Iran, for example. It's just that the media haven't put up much of a fight, or in some cases (Fox News!) actively support the distribution of government propaganda.
"U.S. society has become the least informed, best entertained society in the world."
The Independent provides the best news coverage from UK papers (in my opinion). Whenever I read the Guardian I feel that I am being lectured to. The BBC is OK, but since Hutton, they don't ever seem to want to go into too much commentary and have been "dumming down". The Independent, on the other hand, regularly prints commentaries from both sides of the political spectrum in an intelligent manner.
However, most of my news reading is from Metro - the free paper on the train!!!
Originally posted by AcolyteYou couldn't really call North Korea or Russia 'best entertained' though, could you?
North Korea? Russia? There are plenty of countries with worse news outlets than the US. What is unusual about the US is that people are so ill-informed in a country where the press is theoretically very free indeed. Although US governments (like all governments) have tried to exert control over the media, they've done it in a pretty gentle way by intern ...[text shortened]... fight, or in some cases (Fox News!) actively support the distribution of government propaganda.
For the record, my news usually comes from either the BBC (mostly online, although I sometimes catch the TV news) and the Times newspaper.
"informed" and "entertained" are subjective terms. However, being "informed" somehow implies a better understanding of the truth. There is no truth, people. There is only observation and interpretation of same. Watch/read it all and always remind yourself it comes with it's own perspective.
Most of us barely know ourselves, let alone world news.