Originally Posted by Damien435

Like any other company they are out to make a profit, telling the truth is not high up on their list of priorities.

I disagree, the truth is very high on their list of priorities they report their version of the truth just the same as everyone else, are they guilty of over reporting and exageration sure they are but who isn't.

Unfortunately people tend to look at news that doesnt suit them as poor reporting, bias or lies which is one of the reasons you end up with factions supporting different new organisations ie the right love Fox and the left NYT when in reality they both report the same story just from a different angle and neither are necessarily lying.


I think what people tend to over look though is that they are in the business of making money and if the methods they use were not acceptable to the majority of their audience they wouldnt make money so in the end you get what you pay for.

Like buying manure.

In President Jefferson's own words;

“[T]he artillery of the press has been leveled against us, charged with whatsoever its licentiousness could devise or dare. These abuses of an institution so important to freedom and science are deeply to be regretted...” —Thomas Jefferson

Originally Posted by Missileer

In President Jefferson's own words;

“[T]he artillery of the press has been leveled against us, charged with whatsoever its licentiousness could devise or dare. These abuses of an institution so important to freedom and science are deeply to be regretted...” —Thomas Jefferson

Actually its a fairly typical statement when an issue is looked at with one eye closed and probably one of his poorer quotes because it automatically through its wording creates and "us and them" environment and then assumes that the "us" side is the right one. When in reality the "truth" of an argument lies somewhere on a line between the two parties rarely in the middle and never solely at one end.

Monty, when was the last time you heard anyting positive about Iraq? Exactly. I win.

The concept of Freedom of the Press, and Freedom of Speech were not carved in stone within the Bill of Rights to protect the Press and Population when the Press and Population are Reporting and or saying things the Federal Government wants to hear, but rather to protect the Press and Population from the Government while in the process of saying things the Federal Government may not or does not wish to hear at the time.

One would think someone as, at least purportedly, intelligent and who was well versed in the Bill of Rights, as President Jefferson was would not have to have all that explained to him.

I will point out though that untruths are not covered items as far as Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech, but Truths, not protected by National Security issues, are covered items.
As such it is perfectly legal to yell "Fire" in a crowded Theater, as long as there is in fact a Fire in said Theater, even if the action of yelling "Fire" causes someone to be hurt because of any evacutation en masse.

Originally Posted by Damien435

Monty, when was the last time you heard anyting positive about Iraq? Exactly. I win.

So in your opinion Iraq is the only thing happening in world?

Just because the media doesn't report "positively" on Iraq doesn't actually make it wrong now I am aware that you want positives on Iraq because you believe that is your "reality" but I would bet pretty much anything that if they also posted "positives" about Iran, Syria or Cuba on the same page you and the rest of ideologues on this board would be declaring it lies and liberal mumbo jumbo. So please spare me the "media is out to get us" nonsense and realise that sometimes you are not always going to be on the popular side.

Originally Posted by MontyB

So in your opinion Iraq is the only thing happening in world?

Just because the media doesn't report "positively" on Iraq doesn't actually make it wrong now I am aware that you want positives on Iraq because you believe that is your "reality" but I would bet pretty much anything that if they also posted "positives" about Iran, Syria or Cuba on the same page you and the rest of ideologues on this board would be declaring it lies and liberal mumbo jumbo. So please spare me the "media is out to get us" nonsense and realise that sometimes you are not always going to be on the popular side.

Within the 2 concepts of the Press and Speech, there is only a Right in Law covering the Right of the Press to Report, and the Right for People to Speak freely, there is no such right to have ones message heard, read, or disseminated.
And there in lies the confusion, as some people wish a Right in Law to have there own message heard, and heard by all, while at the same time have any message they happen to disagree with stifled.

Exactly, well put.

I'm saying news should be proportional to what is actually happening. Reporters should cover both sides of the stories, rather than calling our troops unjust occupiers of a foreign land and talking about what a handful of Marines did four months ago they should also talk about the number of hospitals and schools that have been built or improved. (In the latter example, there have been over 10,000 schools and hospitals built/rebuilt since 2003 yet nothing has been said in the media.) And every minute the media spends talking about a murder in some small rural community and saying "if it can happen here it can happen to you!" the should spend ten minutes talking about the number of non-fatal traffic accidents in America since violent crimes are vastly outnumbered by accidents such as those yet unless there are 200 cars (like in France a couple weeks ago) it never sees the light of day. Or here's a gream example, Beckam coming to America, who the hell cares? Americans don't, it's just soccer, so why is it that everytime I turn on the news for the last week I hear that it is the biggest thing to happen since individually wrapped cheese slices? It's the number 16 sport in America behind NASCAR, NFL, MLB, college football, high school football, NBA, men's college basketball, PGA, NHL, men's college hockey, men's college baseball, women's college basketball, women's college hockey, women's college softball, and curling.

Truth of the matter is life is not near so bleak as the press will have you think, but good news doesn't capture the audience and it doesn't bring in the advertisement dollars.