Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: OneVike
5. Playing Up Politics as Entertainment—at the Expense of Substance
Contrary to popular opinion, that unfortunately is what journalism is.

The dicta of journalism are, “If it bleeds, it leads” and “'Man Bites Dog’ not ‘Dog Bites Man.’” And also, “Always make your deadline.” Those are commercial, not philosophical, considerations. Following those dictates is necessary to attract and maintain an audience.

“Man Bites Dog” never happens in real life; if the newspaper says it did, you should consider the possibility that the reporter might be making it up. And and also that he is just not mentioning the million times the dog bites the man.

Journalism is entertainment. But journalism claims to be objective, knowing that in fact it is negative. And yet, claiming that negativity is objectivity is pretty much a spot-on definition of cynicism.

Journalism is negativecynical about society, about the people and institutions which make the country work. But journalism considers itself the pilot fish of government, and never criticizes government for what it does - only for what it does not do. Journalism systematically sets itself - and the government, of which it considers itself the leader - up as a tin god. This is the natural “ideology” of journalism.

4. Lack of Ideological Diversity, Especially on Hot Topics Like Race Relations
All other news outlets lack ideological diversity because they always adhere to “Man Bites Dog." That would be counter to the narrative of all so-called “objective” journalism.
SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness POSITIVELY by uniting our affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.

Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries BY A GOVERNMENT, which we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise. For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him, out of two evils to choose the least. Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others. - Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776)

Journalists, like all “liberals,” are the " writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them."

58 posted on 04/26/2017 5:19:26 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which ‘liberalism’ coheres is that NOTHING ACTUALLY MATTERS except PR.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: conservatism_IS_compassion

Great analysis.

Thanks


93 posted on 04/26/2017 7:42:35 PM PDT by OneVike (I'm just a humble Christian waiting to go home)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson