Posted on 10/18/2008 11:49:07 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
Yada, yada, yada.
~~snip~~
The growing power of rumor is part of a much larger transformation in the way that voters receive information about politics. The old model was a vertical one, where professional journalists delivered their reports to a largely passive audience through television or newspapers. The new model is horizontal, where folks get information from each other and actively pass it on, through e-mail, text messages and viral videos. Everyone is a potential broadcaster.
This "democratization of information" has many benefits - more sources, more perspectives, more choices. In a forum Steve moderated for The International Journal of Press/Politics, Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, offered two examples: the incendiary sermons of Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and Obama's speech on race and religion.
"Millions more people will see and observe and analyze those incidents online than would ever tune into a newscast showing the clips," Jurkowitz said. "So you are dramatically expanding the universe. (And) people can make up their own minds without any kind of media mediation whatsoever."
But there's also a dark side to this horizontal system. Without "media mediation," without the persistent truth-telling, fact-checking efforts of well-trained professionals, falsehoods can flourish.
The "he's an Arab" smear reached so widely that the New York Times devoted a front-page story to its origins. Its conclusion: After the allegations first appeared in 2004, they were picked up by the conservative Web site FreeRepublic.com "and spread steadily as others elaborated on its claims over the years in e-mail messages, Web sites, and books."
Said Danielle Allen, a Princeton professor who has studied the episode: "It's an example of how the Internet has given power to sources we would have never taken seriously at another point in time."
(Excerpt) Read more at metrowestdailynews.com:80 ...
Talk about someone living in la-la land.
Cokie and Steve seem to miss the point that the “horizontal” system is necessary to correct the falsehoods fact-checked by well-trained professionals.
Poor Cokie. After her Goebbel’s employer collapses, she’ll spend the rest of her life demonstrating Depends on an obscure porn web site and be happy for the $10 she makes.
btt
Knowing that I’m doing my small part to ruin Cokie Roberts’s day (week, month, year ...) makes me very, very happy.
For the benefit of those who may not know, Croakie Roberts is Hale Boggs' daughter.
Hale Boggs was a career liberal politician, part of the corrupt Louisiana Rat machine, who served as House Majority Leader in the early 70's.
Given Croakie's heritage and upbringing, it would be truly shocking if she did not feel threatened by free speech, public forums, conservatism, and just about everything else Free Republic represents.
I would not be surprised if they attempt to shut down this website. He has already invoked the "Truth Squad", sent police to the homes of people who criticized him on blogs etc, investigating the Sheriff who endorsed McCain/Palin and are digging up dirt on Joe the Plumber.
These are a few examples and Im sure there have been more.
“Media mediation”? That’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Cokie really believes the media is responsible for determining what is truth and what truth will be disseminated to the unwashed. Considering that Cokie’s version of truth is dictated by dem socialists I would say her objectivity is suspect.
I think Cokie would be most comfortable “reporting” for Pravda.
I keep wondering how any Catholic can vote demrat because of that party’s wholesale abortion position. My sister is Catholic and votes demrat religiously. Not only did she encourage her granddaughter to abort, she is even angry at her for not aborting.
Of course, my sister takes communion every Sunday.
After my mother lost her mental faculties my sister—who had power of attorney for my mom—used to take her to the polls so she could vote demrat. Not sure what my mother did once she got in the voting booth, but I’m sure she managed to find the right lever every now and then.
Yes, they preach all this free speech, First Amend rights, right to assemmble and protest BS, but; if you say one word they disagree with- you are attacked and you will have them digging through your family closet.
Cokie has always been a liberal , biased bore.
Cokie, what were you complaining about?
Over the years I've owned and driven Pintos and thought them a too light tin box but no more so than the old VW Beetles, which I also owned several times.
During the millions of miles I've likely driven and hundreds of serious wrecks I've seen I can recall one fire as a result of a rear end collision and that was when a heavy Cadillac hit a small Japanese car.
Is it any wonder that honest dry eyes won't blink once when these organizations close down for good.
Right Cokie. Where would we be without the likes of..
and.......
This isn't really ROFLOL anymore....it's pathetic.
Funny how they never raised that question back when ABC, NBC, and CBS shared a virtual monopoly on discussion and news information. What training, education, or qualifications, for instance, did that pole-up-the-ass liberal gasbag Peter Jennings have to be the Grand Poobah of news information? Or Dan Rather? Or John Chancellor? Or Bill Moyers? That seems like Pravda now compared to the competition, diversity, and alternatives available today as compared with before the internet. Gee, I don't remember calls for checking the "Reagan is a warmonger" meme. The "accountability" of Jennings and Rather went unchecked for years. For some it even seemed strange when The McLaughlin Group, Rush Limbaugh: The TV Show, and Crossfire began challenging the liberal monopoly on television news discussion back in the '80s and early '90s. There were snied comments from Jennings and Donaldson as their monopoly was challenged and questioned. How dare the people question the manufactured "news" of the big media monopolies!
Presumably we are supposed to take seriously a network that hires a junior Clinton staffer to monitor and direct discussion of political news. This is objective? Who made that call?
Just how many falsehoods that Obama has told the American people have you covered up Cokie?
“Obama is not an Arab. And yet in a Pew Research poll, only 57 percent could correctly identify him as a Christian.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This sentence is drivel! It makes as much sense as if I said that I am not from Texas but only 57 percent realize that I am an ex-sailor.
Of course I haven’t mentioned that I actually AM an ex-sailor, Obama is NOT a Christian he only spent twenty years attending a church that calls itself Christian but preaches black liberation theology that has nothing to do with Christianity.
My observation on news dissemination
The original (Howard Stern Harlem)interview seems by it’s title to be done October 1st 2008
It’s posted to the political board I follow , Freerepublic.com, on Oct 10th and viewed by 1300 + people including me.
On Oct 19th the story is e-mailed to my wife who got it from a co-worker, the same day it was e-mailed to me from an acquaintance.
The two senders as far as I know have nothing in common.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2102239/posts
“Since the Internet will only expand as a source of information, a key question facing democracy is this: How can the Web’s enormous advantages be reconciled with a greater sense of accountability?”
Translation: How can we implement that doggoned “gatekeeping function” for the Internet that Hitlery spoke of some time ago,and shut these free-minded people up?
You are spot on as usual.Thank you!!
Here’s an idea i’d like to float out there,to be lost to the winds of time forever....
How about applying some of that “accountablilty” to the likes of YOU, Cokie?
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