Author Topic: Iran attack - progress report (Read 2632 times)

Quo Vadis Petre · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2007, 12:14:03 PM »

Quote from: Vandaler

The essential point is credibility. When you stray out of the mainstream sources, credibility is everything.

As if mainstream sources are credible nowadays!! True, some of the news reports may be true, but more often than not, they're spun.

Vandaler · « **Reply #6 on:** March 28, 2007, 12:27:06 PM »

Quote from: Quo Vadis Petre

As if mainstream sources are credible nowadays!!

I am rewriting this post since I inadvertently destroyed it. and will contact Quo Vadis and make sure he stills agrees since of course, it's not identical to what I wrote 4 hours ago

I admit, the MSM has had some bad moments. Difference is, generally, these mistakes have been harshely sanctionned by the public.

Per example, the NYT still suffers from it's bad reporting from Judith Miller on Weapons of Mass Destructions, Fox News cannot shake off the well deserved label of being an extension of the Republican Party and CBS is still lost since Dan Rathers blunder on the Bush's record in the National Guard.

All these have been hardly judged and incur financial penalties from the lost of credibility. I suppose they will need to re-earn their trust and that takes time.

That being said, all is not the same for alternative media, and this gets under my skin.
Alternative media usually caters to specific like minded niche of individuals who recognize themselves in the tone and content of those news. In as such, they don't mind innacuracies, unsourced information or even bold face fabrications and lies. To the contrary, they find solace in them and are willing to look the other way when an item turns out wrong.

This kind of looking glass, when it's your only window on the world is very close to outright endoctrination.

Quo Vadis Petre · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2007, 12:42:51 PM »

Well, you're quite right about that. Every source has to be tested.

Vandaler · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2007, 12:48:05 PM »

Quote from: Quo Vadis Petre

True, some of the news reports may be true, but more often than not, they're spun.

I can actually live with a little bit of spinning as long I am familiar with the outlet.

There are rules to this.

- A clear line between what is editorial opinion and what is raw news.
- That even if facts are spun, they are still laying on truth that can be verified independantly.
- That sources are allways indentified, even if it's just to say they are anonynous...

A familiarity with the outlet also allow to unspin the content to a fair extent and reading from a variaty of mainstream sources from all sides of the political spectrum provides a pretty good picture.

Quo Vadis Petre · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2007, 07:28:26 PM »

Quote from: Vandaler

Quote from: Quo Vadis Petre
True, some of the news reports may be true, but more often than not, they're spun.

I can actually live with a little bit of spinning as long I am familiar with the outlet.

There are rules to this.

- A clear line between what is editorial opinion and what is raw news.
- That even if facts are spun, they are still laying on truth that can be verified independantly.
- That sources are allways indentified, even if it's just to say they are anonynous...

A familiarity with the outlet also allow to unspin the content to a fair extent and reading from a variaty of mainstream sources from all sides of the political spectrum provides a pretty good picture.

Well, I am still quite wary about news in mainstream sources, like ABC, CBS, Fox, and some others. Many times, they don't tell the whole story.