The news, is it worth paying attention?
Discussion
The mainstream media seems to exist mainly to feed us the scare mongering drivel the powers that be hope will keep us afraid, therefore compliant and ignorant. The big picture continues behind a cover of the war on terror, the threat of financial meltdown and some illegal wars thrown in for good measure. A hero of mine,the late great Bill Hicks, a man who had his finger very much on the pulse without being a conspiracy nut, once refered to the first gulf war as " the Persian Gulf distraction", designed to keep our minds off domestic issues, before switching channels to watch Gladiators or as it would be today, X factor, or some such moronic cack to stop us thinking for ourselves. "We hope you enjoyed the firework display". Sorry, bit of a rant there. No I don't watch the news, all you need to know is out there if you take the time to look. "Here's Jim with the weather"
My Nan did not watch the news or read the papers, she said what can I a little old lady sat in my house in my small part of the world do about the iraq war/falklands/gun crime in USA, EU laws ect ect.
She was happy just to get on with her own life in a non selfish way to others just not get involved with the whole world. I'm kind of the same.
On the other hand my grandad used to read the dailymail everyday without fail, he would be pulling his hair out over half the stories and want to argue this point with everyone. This got him nowhere and changed nothing in the world. I can also sometimes be like this but have to reming myself to just move on.
She was happy just to get on with her own life in a non selfish way to others just not get involved with the whole world. I'm kind of the same.
On the other hand my grandad used to read the dailymail everyday without fail, he would be pulling his hair out over half the stories and want to argue this point with everyone. This got him nowhere and changed nothing in the world. I can also sometimes be like this but have to reming myself to just move on.
McWigglebum4th said:
The Don of Croy said:
That's all very well to cut yourself off from the nightly news, but tell me, without it how would you know;
That Milliband has a kitchen?
That Clarkson has not had a contract renewed?
That after a tragic place crash reporters stand around amongst many helicopters?
That Premiership footballers sometimes score goals?
You'd be marginalised, bereft...
Without sounding harshThat Milliband has a kitchen?
That Clarkson has not had a contract renewed?
That after a tragic place crash reporters stand around amongst many helicopters?
That Premiership footballers sometimes score goals?
You'd be marginalised, bereft...
None of those effect me
And not knowing about them would have zero effect on my life
McWigglebum4th said:
Is it really worth paying attention?
Would my life be better if i just ignored the mainstream media completely?
ten years ago, Daily Express headlines screamed: \HOUSE PRICES DROP, THOUSANDS TO LOSE HOMES'.Would my life be better if i just ignored the mainstream media completely?
It was then I realised what a pitiful pile of sensationalist drivel the news really is. It is all about selling copy, advertising, making money, and nothing to do with informing the masses of 'news'.
On reflection, I think last night's ten o'clock news may have epitomised modern 'news' - far too much wasted time on speculation (something to do with voting???) plus more death, death, and another death/rape/bestial happening, then the otherwise positive news on pensions reform transformed into a piece about selling personal info (current circa 1999).
If you're not depressed after seeing that, then there's the inaccurate weather report to follow.
If you're not depressed after seeing that, then there's the inaccurate weather report to follow.
Funnily enough I have just left a FB group for the "township" where I live. I've lived here all my life and as far as I'm concerned it's a really nice place in a beautiful setting and all the people are very friendly indeed.
However according to this FB group the place is a hotbed of crime and is knee deep in dog poo and potholes etc etc. Anyone who was looking to move there and read it would run a mile. It's totally bizarre and at odds with what I know.
I figure I'll be a lot happier not on it.
However according to this FB group the place is a hotbed of crime and is knee deep in dog poo and potholes etc etc. Anyone who was looking to move there and read it would run a mile. It's totally bizarre and at odds with what I know.
I figure I'll be a lot happier not on it.
Not only is the news generally depressing and wrong, but paying close attention to it actually makes you ill informed in my view. You get distracted with all the stupid minutiae - the details of who said what, the meaningless GDP figure that was 0.2% lower than expected or the new report about something or other that shows the old report about it was wrong and in fact it doesn't cause cancer or global warming or increase crime and might in fact reduce all three. So distracted that you miss anything genuinely important, which would anyway filter through to you within a few hours.
heyhomes said:
I'm trying to avoid news and 'media' as much as possible these days as the only real effect that 99.99999% of it has on my life is to annoy me or put me in a bad mood.
Soon as the news comes on my OH switches it off as I usually talk abut how much s
te is on it all the time.I know we've had a bit of a s
t economy recently, being that it's been harder to get a loan basically. But would we have known we were in a recession if it wasn't reported on the news? Would we know that we are coming out of it now? How many people has it really affected because my life hasn't changed a jot in the last 10 years. I really don't see what the fuss was all about.The news is one of the most depressing dramas on TV. And BBC news is one of the most racist publications I've ever seen.
For example:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26357007
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30193354
What does the colour of their skin matter? because it's been made a song and dance about. It's not the only cases, they're just an example. In the Lee Rigby case, why not, "Two middle eastern/Black men kill white Soldier" because the news is the one leading the racist march. Assholes. It happens with nearly every news reporting of a murder. In the other one, why not "Officer Darren Wilson Murders Teenager Michael Brown".
f
k off s 
We used to have satellite TV on our ship, in the USA, this American 'news' coming in 24/7.
Now we don't have it, and I really, really don't miss it!!! American news is nothing more than a group of idiots sat around hypothesizing, gossiping, guessing at the background of little snippets of information they are fed. Fox news is famous for it, most all other news, CNN, included, is almost as bad.
Most of the stuff they cover is NOT news, but just stories about st going on around the world.
Now we don't have it, and I really, really don't miss it!!! American news is nothing more than a group of idiots sat around hypothesizing, gossiping, guessing at the background of little snippets of information they are fed. Fox news is famous for it, most all other news, CNN, included, is almost as bad.
Most of the stuff they cover is NOT news, but just stories about s
t going on around the world. LordGrover said:
What they call news these days is mostly fluff. Best avoided.
Got to agree, switch on the news or pick up a paper and it is all doom and gloom, austerity, end of the world, mostly sensationalist rubbish or politically/ideology motivated. Now I try to avoid news papers in particular, as I am guessing most of it is only an opinion by someone with a vested interest on the real story.Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff