or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
September 13, 2007
Why You Shouldn't Believe Anything You Read, See Or Hear
Be sure to check out Laura Rozen's posts about the strange case of Alexis Debat, here, here, here and here.
It's a particularly shocking lesson in the fact that, in terms of providing accurate information, the media is an incredibly rickety contraption. The reason for this, of course, is that the media doesn't exist to provide accurate information. It exists to make as much money as possible for its owners. It does an excellent job at that.
And yet people—well, upper middle class white people—have a deeply held commitment to the idea the media exists to be accurate, and in fact does give you a tolerably accurate view of the world. Why this bizarre delusion persists is an interesting question.
Posted at September 13, 2007 01:12 PM | TrackBackI'll go along with half of your formula:
"The media doesn't exist to provide accurate information" but my version concludes, "it exists to generate public opinion."
Just ask the Rev. Moon who has sunk $1Bn. into the Washington Times. Sure, they all like to make money, who don't, but the giant corporations that now own the media pay for the advertising that makes them profitable. At least when they can't get the government to pay.
What do you think McClatchy's new "Truth to Power" shtick?
Posted by: Sven at September 13, 2007 02:57 PMThe older I get the more I distrust what I touch and taste. No sense of smell to speak of, but I suspect it would also fail me.
Posted by: SPIIDERWEB™ at September 13, 2007 06:14 PMWHo else thinks the building from which FOX, CNN, NYT (and so on) spew their propaganda are LEGAL military targets. The major newspapers and major "news" television stations are not only accesories to mass murder but they actually did their fucking best to promote the fascist shit in Iraq, and they do their best to shield the actual perpetrators from "justice" (well, whatever justice means in US)...
When the next 747 lands in the middle of the editorial office of the WaPo, there will be NO "innocent civilians" biting the bone...
Posted by: Go-Gu at September 16, 2007 04:35 AM
