“Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you know well. In Murray’s case, physics. In mine, show business. You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward—reversing cause and effect. I call these the “wet streets cause rain” stories. Paper’s full of them.
In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know.”
― Michael Crichton
I never had that reaction. I hold everything I have read up to now as current data, ready to modify with the next data input. Nothing is truth. Just the known set of data. Wasn’t it in 5th grade we were taught how to be skeptical and analytical of articles in newspapers?
Never was interviewed for an article that gave a reliable translation of our interview. Never believed anyone else’s interview either. Even when I was the interviewer, all you’re hearing is someone else’s interpretation or memory. That’s interesting, in itself, but there’s nothing in what they’re saying that you should bet your life on.
Good explanation.
The mass media has a much deeper problem.
Even if they wanted to be objective—which of course they do not—they are relying on the public relations flaks of large organizations—government, corporate, non-government who are basically paid liars.
Everywhere I worked the average worker was banned from talking to the media. The senior executives or public relations flaks who did talk to the media either were ignorant of basic facts or lied about them.
Every single time.
bttt
*Faucett ‘cause his mouth always runs and he always smiles when his BS flows.