Is the invention of 24 hr media to blame?

[jeepmcd]

Maybe this is my own take on how politics and society interact, but I have considered the start of CNN as a 24 hr news network the beginning of the end of our rights as citizens.

CNN was only the start. Now every broadcasting group has a 24 hr news network and in their constant battle for ratings, they have evolved from covering news to creating news. When CNN covered the first gulf war we were consumed with the notion getting the latest coverage as soon as possible. Now if you watch any one of these channels, it is apparent that they often make presumptions, accusations and make statements that don't always hold water but rather grab attention.

After the tragedy of New Town in December, watching the ignorance of the news casters when it comes to "assault weapons" and their use was remarkable. They didn't seem to discuss the mental state of the shooter in the same depth as they cast a negative light on the tool in which he used. Why? because the weapons are a more sexy story than the ugly truth that our society failed to recognize the dangerous path he was traveling down.

Even now on capital hill, mental health and how our nation handles dangerous minds takes a back seat to the most obvious scape-goat, military style rifles. That man woke up that morning ready to kill children and he was willing to die in order to carry out his plan. He could have used a bomb, a shotgun or even a club to kill the innocent people that day. None of these have high capacity magazines or require any unusual means to purchase, even explosives can be made using readily available materials.

This brings me back to the media machine that creates an image in the public eye that would make any parent fearful. Fear leads to unrest in the politicians who are only trying to get re-elected using "hot button" topics.

I realize these statements are backed-up using facts and research, but this is my opinion on how the topic of gun control has spiraled out of control.

[arjay]

Most of our news now is little more than gossip and I seem to recall an old adage about the evil that gossip can cause.

[chief38]

Liberal Media has a lot to do with the problem as do the naive people who live here. Most of the voters only seem to care about

1) what's for dinner
2) is the cable tv working
3) is there beer in the ice box
4) can I pay my mortgage this month
5) when is the game on

I know the average person here in NY couldn't tell you much about their representatives in Congress or the Senate, who holds the major Gov't. Cabinet Posts, or much about the Constitution. They know little about current events and even less if all they listen to is ONE news station (especially a network station). The majority of the voters as I see it just really don't give a hoot! They are more interested in a candidate appearing on Leno or Letterman than if they are smarter, wiser, and truly a better candidate.

Hey I'd better stop before this gets Political.

[Alnamvet68]

Originally Posted by chief38

Liberal Media has a lot to do with the problem as do the naive people who live here. Most of the voters only seem to care about

1) what's for dinner
2) is the cable tv working
3) is there beer in the ice box
4) can I pay my mortgage this month
5) when is the game on

I know the average person here in NY couldn't tell you much about their representatives in Congress or the Senate, who holds the major Gov't. Cabinet Posts, or much about the Constitution. They know little about current events and even less if all they listen to is ONE news station (especially a network station). The majority of the voters as I see it just really don't give a hoot! They are more interested in a candidate appearing on Leno or Letterman than if they are smarter, wiser, and truly a better candidate.

Hey I'd better stop before this gets Political.

Seems I've heard that before; now I know what happened to NY; flourishing rhetorically of course.

[feralmerril]

We mostly watch fox news. But even there they have this idea of "Fair and balanced". Even my favorite (Hannity) has this idea that they think they have to argue with each other and stir controversey and try to out shout and argue like primer school kids. They must think that is what we want and I belive they couldnt be more wrong.
I also find it interesting that once in awhile when a real big thing happens in the news how they play it to death and its like the world has stopped with other news for days.
When the massacure at newtown happened every news channel was trying to beat the other and put out a lot of misinformation. They all are guilty of it.

[jkc]

I don't think that the so-called 24 hour news cycle is innately to blame for the low grade "news" spewed out by television, radio, on-line, and even print media. Rather, I think that what passes for "news" has generally been dumbed-down to appeal to very low common-denominator consumers, who are not capable of critical thinking, who have little/poor public school education, and who consume "news" more or less as free entertainment, and are unquestioning and uncritical of what they see, hear, and read. When you are not invested in the news source, as by a paid newspaper or other periodical subscription, it "owes" you nothing, and you have no expectation of the medium rising to your standards, if indeed, you have any. TV news is enslaved by time --- it has to fill every on-air minute with something, anything, to keep viewers from channel surfing, or having a lucid interval and turning the damned thing off.

Thus, local stations fill up the "nothing newsworthy happened today" dead air with sappy segments about cute puppies available for adoption at the pound, dramatic dangers discovered at local playgrounds, and other such vapid inanity. National broadcasters do the same thing, usually on a grander scale, but usually just as vapid and inane. This will only get worse...

[charlie sherrill]

Most of these news people went to school to learn their trade. Most of these schools are run by progressive/liberal/socialist types and if the students don't learn it their way they don't graduate. Facts don't mean anything anymore if they don't jive with the agenda. MSM is now openly biased to the liberal/ anti 2A view. It's been headed this way for decades and they are no longer afraid to openly state their opinion while trying to disguise it as news. Conservatives have had a problem trying to stand up to these people because they are afraid they will be the next one attacked. You can't be nice to them and expect them to be nice to us. They don't care. They will attack you anyway. They have an agenda and anything that disputes it will be ruined in the worst possible way. They helped choose the last two opposition candidates. They wanted someone who would lose, and they did.

For us 2A lovers it should be no more Mr. Nice guy. It doesn't work. We need leaders who will immediately attack their misinformation, lies, deceit, and outright stupidity. We need to put them on the defensive by pointing this out at every opportunity. We need to hit them in their pocketbook by not buying their products and complaining to their advertisers. The majority of the folks in this country don't believe or trust the MSM, yet they continue to clog our airways with their biased views and manage to influence enough of their faithful and uninformed people to keep puting people in office who don't like us. They don't play fair on their side and it's time we don't either.

[jkc]

Originally Posted by charlie sherrill

Most of these news people went to school to learn their trade. Most of these schools are run by progressive/liberal/socialist types and if the students don't learn it their way they don't graduate. Facts don't mean anything anymore if they don't jive with the agenda. MSM is now openly biased to the liberal/ anti 2A view. It's been headed this way for decades and they are no longer afraid to openly state their opinion while trying to disguise it as news. Conservatives have had a problem trying to stand up to these people because they are afraid they will be the next one attacked. You can't be nice to them and expect them to be nice to us. They don't care. They will attack you anyway. They have an agenda and anything that disputes it will be ruined in the worst possible way. They helped choose the last two opposition candidates. They wanted someone who would lose, and they did.

For us 2A lovers it should be no more Mr. Nice guy. It doesn't work. We need leaders who will immediately attack their misinformation, lies, deceit, and outright stupidity. We need to put them on the defensive by pointing this out at every opportunity. We need to hit them in their pocketbook by not buying their products and complaining to their advertisers. The majority of the folks in this country don't believe or trust the MSM, yet they continue to clog our airways with their biased views and manage to influence enough of their faithful and uninformed people to keep puting people in office who don't like us. They don't play fair on their side and it's time we don't either.

Well said, as usual. Attacking "antis" economically is probably among our better bets, but it only influences politicians, I think, vs. rank-and-file voters, who are sadly still brain-dead on most issues ...

[loutent]

It's not so much the ignorance of the "voters" - it's more the realization of the "political class" that the folks that vote them in are uniformed, ignorant and can be used to their political advantage.

[LVSteve]

None of these so-called news organisations are in the business of accurately reporting events any more. It is all who gets information out first (right or wrong) and generating ratings by having the most opinionated hosts. True journalism and reporting has gone the way of sport due to the influence of money.