Cause and effect relationship between media and public perception.

Everything we get on an issue is tainted with bias, sometimes to the extreme that it's flat out propaganda. People are starting to get wise to how the media is influencing their perceptions, but many are still choosing to get their news from the same slanted sources.

As much as the liberal and conservative media gets blamed for biased misinformation, how much of their influence is our own fault? Without an audience, would any program be able to stay in operation? At what point should we stop blaming the media and consider the media merely a reflection of our own ignorance, bias and apathy?

Is this a chicken or egg question?

the media is a business and they will behave in a manner to benefit their shareholders. if we listen to the media with this in mind, the filtering is easier.

i don't think this is a solvable problem in our current society. although not an expert, i've been fascinated by various events/trends in media (hearst in the early 20th century, murdoch and turner in the late 20th century, how the internet has entirely disrupted the industry).

Very good point. Especially in private for-profit owned media, which is almost all owned by, like, seven entities. I've been trying to balance it out with NPR, BBC, Democracy Now, and other public or donation funded programs to balance it out. But even the donation funded sources... NPR was publicly thanking the Walton family for their generous donations. So the next time Walmart employees go on strike, what do you want to bet that it doesn't make the news?

Another good point about the internet being a HUGE disruption in the evolution of media. Anyone with a cell phone can call themselves a journalist with social media also.

agree... i think the npo media sources are better, but not totally objective for the reasons you mention. i guess the best approach is to monitor a variety of media and find the middle.

the frustrating part for me is that most (?) people don't really want to think critically about it. they find their source (left or right leaning) and cite it like he gospel. this contributes to the increasing polarization we see in our society. ugh.

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Originally Posted by j3374

Everything we get on an issue is tainted with bias, sometimes to the extreme that it's flat out propaganda. People are starting to get wise to how the media is influencing their perceptions, but many are still choosing to get their news from the same slanted sources.

As much as the liberal and conservative media gets blamed for biased misinformation, how much of their influence is our own fault? Without an audience, would any program be able to stay in operation? At what point should we stop blaming the media and consider the media merely a reflection of our own ignorance, bias and apathy?

Is this a chicken or egg question?

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as a consumer of news/information, you have a certain responsibility too.

Try not to get your news from the same sources. If you want to see what the USA is doing at an international level, try watching Al Jazeera and the BBC, along with Cable news. you will get more rounded perspective.

Good news sources internally are

Christian Science Monitor
US News and World Report

I always like the McNeal Lehr news hour, later changed to the News Hour with Jim Lehr, later changed to what? PBS news hour? When they ran a piece, they would have both conservative and liberal interviews, in an attempt to be balanced.

Avoid network news, as they are a 100% controlled commodity, with all the pretty smiling faces, safety tips, and human interest stories. There is nothing of any real value being offered besides local news if you are into watching that sort of thing.

You can do some investigative reporting too. You can start with what you hear on the news, and then start google searching what you hear.

Very few actually do all this. Most want to be spoon fed. Unfortunately, if all you want is to be spoon fed, then all you get is baby food.......!

Couldn't agree more with Times Roman. I'm a conservative republican but I can't stand FOX a lot of the time.

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Originally Posted by fitnesstrainer

Couldn't agree more with Times Roman. I'm a conservative republican but I can't stand FOX a lot of the time.

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Wow! I'm impressed with your objectivity, Fitness.

I've registered the last few years as an independent. I do tend to take stances that are considered left more often than not, but I do so because I think it makes logical sense, not because it's the stance that any particular party prefers.

I also have been striving toward getting my news from a variety of sources, and yes, this includes FOX news. I found myself shaking my head at a lot of their propaganda, but as TIMES said, all private news is clearly biased. At least I know (most of the time) how a show will slant their news and take that into consideration.

I was actually the Editor-in-Chief of the local community college student newspaper a few years ago. Between that experience and just writing college papers overall, I learned a fair amount about how to evaluate sources as being credible or hokey. I wish more people had that basic skill.

I also look at different sources for info and I find myself shaking my head continuously when I tune in to msnbc (lying a-holes with an obvious agenda) but I can watch fox news (i'm not a hardcore republican) more often because I want BOTH sides and it IS there for you to see. I do believe a lot of people are ignorant and lazy and they are presented with a lot of b.s. and eat it up because the powers that be know a lot of people will not investigate on their own and a lot think it's "the right way to feel and the politically correct opinion or view" on a subject. my views and opinions are shaped by common sense and real life experiences and not by our mainstream media but unfortunately most people are and always have been "sheep".

"People are starting to get wise to how the media is influencing their perceptions"

Yea, like when I was 10yrs old, if it's on tv or a politician lips are moving, then its Bull shit. lol

Unfortunately it has turned me off to the extent that I don't even watch the news. At all.

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Originally Posted by ironbeck

"People are starting to get wise to how the media is influencing their perceptions"

Yea, like when I was 10yrs old, if it's on tv or a politician lips are moving, then its Bull shit. lol

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i make it a point not to listen when a politician is talking because it will be bull shit 90% of the time. these folks are making careers out of this gig where they are elected by you and i to serve us and their city/region/state/nation. we are so far from what our founding fathers intended it's laughable and the things they put in place to keep this country a nation of freedom and liberties and away from socialism and communism has been eaten away little by little.

"any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" (ben franklin)