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Post by zanygame on Sept 10, 2023 8:35:26 GMT
For example.
When a bunch of doctors ignores all the signs of sepsis and a young girl dies. It is news worthy.
But should the news be moderated by stating that each year
48,500 people die of serious cases of sepsis
But doctors save 72,500.
Would this help people understand the situation?
Or:
When a prisoner escapes from jail.
Add each year there are 55,000 attempted escapes for balancing.
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Post by Cartertonian on Sept 10, 2023 8:42:27 GMT
This is the nature of news, hence the aphorism, "when a dog bites a man, that is not news. But if a man bites a dog? Now, that IS news!"...attributed to the editor of the New York Sun in 1929.
Thus the news media have, perhaps for centuries, entrenched confirmation bias in the population and fuelled prejudice, bigotry and an erroneous belief in the veracity of stereotypes.
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Post by zanygame on Sept 10, 2023 9:02:42 GMT
This is the nature of news, hence the aphorism, "when a dog bites a man, that is not news. But if a man bites a dog? Now, that IS news!"...attributed to the editor of the New York Sun in 1929. Thus the news media have, perhaps for centuries, entrenched confirmation bias in the population and fuelled prejudice, bigotry and an erroneous belief in the veracity of stereotypes. Agreed, is it time for change. Interestingly we seem to be heading away from a scepticism of the news and towards a scepticism of scientists/ doctors and other experts. I find this very odd. |
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Post by Cartertonian on Sept 10, 2023 9:20:05 GMT
In the internet age, that was inevitable. Having been primed all our lives by the media, as above, now any random talking head, spouting ill-informed and poorly researched nonsense is more 'believable' than an expert who has devoted their lives to studying those things in which they have expertise.  |
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Post by Orac on Sept 10, 2023 9:38:40 GMT
One of most people's secret desires is that they discover they were right all along.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2023 10:03:10 GMT
One of most people's secret desires is that they discover they were right all along. Unfortunately, we're heading for an era where any revelation will have to remain private. There is a growing intolerance toward opposing views where the intolerance is coming from those who repeat those they are told to be experts. This happens even when the repeater boasts no qualifications and is just a subordinate. These subordinates will go on to accuse dissenters of being brainwashed and stupid without any awareness of their own incarceration. If one expert isn't conforming to another expert, the subordinate then becomes their own expert to maintain the path, again with no awareness of what they're actually doing.
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Post by Cartertonian on Sept 10, 2023 10:23:15 GMT
One of most people's secret desires is that they discover they were right all along. True, but one of the interesting things to me in my academic journey is discovering I was wrong. It's obviously a subjective and idiosyncratic view, but I share it with many academic peers. The more you dig in to a subject, the more you find that the superficial understanding you had before you studied it turns out to be either plain wrong, or grossly distorted by your previous lack of knowledge. But in the context of this post, the keyword is 'balancing'. I'm posting here as a break from marking third-year undergrad essays and it's strikingly obvious when a student has failed to grasp the importance of a balanced argument. I've seen numerous essays with driving, one-sided arguments, supported only by research with which the students agree. They fail...or pass by the skin of their teeth. The essays that score highly are the ones who set out a balanced argument and arrive at an informed conclusion. For the HE gainsayers, that is the benefit of a university education. Unfortunately, most consumers of news do not apply the same principles to their reading. I subscribe to both the Guardian and the Telegraph and read both, plus a lot of other news sources that sit either side of the centre (I listen to GB News radio, for example). From that, I take as balanced a view on current issues as possible (though not perfect). In simple terms, most people who read the Mirror are unlikely to read the Sun for balance...and vice versa. A sizeable proportion of society are wilful contributors to their own, entrenched views. |
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Post by oracle75 on Sept 10, 2023 10:54:34 GMT
I"ll read the opposition argument until i hit a clear exaggeration, lie or omission.
I stop there.
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Post by Orac on Sept 10, 2023 10:57:23 GMT
I"ll read the opposition argument until i hit a clear exaggeration, lie or omission. I stop there. This approach will limit you to reading your own views |
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Post by Dan Dare on Sept 10, 2023 11:23:18 GMT
Carty appears to believe that an average of the Guardian and the Telegraph, with an added soupcon of something spicy like GB News, is all that the well-read man needs to keep abreast of current issues.
Ah, I wish I still believed in Father Christmas too.
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Post by ALAIN DELON on Sept 10, 2023 11:51:14 GMT
Carty appears to believe that an average of the Guardian and the Telegraph, with an added soupcon of something spicy like GB News, is all that the well-read man needs to keep abreast of current issues. Ah, I wish I still believed in Father Christmas too. Isn't he having a go at news coverage and not speaking in favour of it..? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2023 12:02:18 GMT
Our state owned news provider should be the most reliable and most trusted source of news
In this country, when we say "State Owned" or "State Run" it does not mean owned or run by The Government, however in many instances the government of the day are the "overseers" or the agents for its smooth running whilst in office, and this should change.
Take for example The Privy Council
If for example a government became corrupt, or if it abandoned Parliamentary Democracy and refused elections, the Privy Council made up of senior serving and retired politicians of all political persuassions, from the House of Commons and House of Lords would advise The King on what to do.
An organisation or committee or authority similar to The Privy Council, independent of government, made up of politicians of differing persuassions, from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should oversee the BBC and BBC appointments.
Such a body could also scritinize and monitor balance, impartiality and fairness.
Other than the BBC, virtually all other news sources have some kind of agenda, the two nearest to been impartial are ITN and SKY, neither of which have a "political" agenda, but both have a "commercial" agenda.
Our BBC has neither a political or commercial agenda, but for too many years governments have meddled with the BBC, appointing Tory friendly AND Labour friendly people.
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Post by Orac on Sept 10, 2023 12:22:36 GMT
The committee solution has the infamous 'committee problem'.
I would far rather the fig leaf of independence were abandoned and that the state media be overtly run by the elected government. At least that solution leaves the UK people with some limited control and a accountability
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Post by Cartertonian on Sept 10, 2023 12:45:00 GMT
Carty appears to believe that an average of the Guardian and the Telegraph, with an added soupcon of something spicy like GB News, is all that the well-read man needs to keep abreast of current issues. Ah, I wish I still believed in Father Christmas too. I was merely sparing the reader the full lengths that I go to, to try and obtain as balanced a perspective as possible.  The point still stands. If you wilfully exclude parts of the evidence, you will never gain a clear, balanced view of any issue. Of course, there are many people who very specifically do not want a clear, balanced view of any issue, because they wish to pursue and drive forward a one-sided agenda. |
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Post by zanygame on Sept 10, 2023 14:18:11 GMT
Carty appears to believe that an average of the Guardian and the Telegraph, with an added soupcon of something spicy like GB News, is all that the well-read man needs to keep abreast of current issues. Ah, I wish I still believed in Father Christmas too. Cynic 😅 |
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