The biggest laughs my husband (and Eagle colleague) and I had over Thanksgiving were every time my father, who was a guest in our home, went off about “the media.”
We were like, “Ah, dad, you know you’re talking about us, right?”
Then, a friend who I consider to be very bright had me to dinner the other night and also blamed “the media” for making things seem worse than they are these days.
Seriously? It seems like there are new layoffs nationally and locally to report every day. Companies are either canceling plans or putting them on hold. Some are going bankrupt or are closing.
This is the media’s fault? I think that’s called blaming the messenger.
How bad things are is relative, of course. And there’s certainly a case to be made that bad news leads to more concern and cost-cutting and that, in turn, leads to more bad news.
But we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t report what’s happening. That’s called news.
Sorry, Dad.
31 Comments
The problem is that negative or news that fits within the political agenda of the news organization is emphasized….perhaps a front page headline while other news outside of the political agenda of the reporting agency is buried on the back page.
The slant of the story is just as important or more important than the base fact behind the purpose for the story. Certainly the media doesn’t always create the story, but they create the slant that is designed to alter public opinion.
This of course doesn’t count for local TV news who are obsessed with creating and being a part of the news they report.
As readers we need to balance information into its proper perspective and not over interpret news worthy occurrences. The media needs to make the information interesting enough for us to read it.
The problem, dear friends, is not the media. Rather, its the people who believe EVERY WORD that proceeds from the pen or computer keyboard of a reporter… people who fail to use their mental ability to analyze and consider the source and bias of the information. When they run around like sheep, taking in every word and running forward with it as though it were gospel, we have an issue.
Yes, the media is biased. Yes, they have an agenda, and yes, they contribute to the problems by sensationalizing things to drive ratings and readership numbers. That said, we all have an obligation to realize that and to temper the media’s ramblings with our own common sense, world view, and knowledge.
Or, we could continue the time honored American tradition of blindly following…
Amen Wordsmith
There are certainly biased news sources. No need to recite them here.
However, from this side of the fence it is readily apparent that the American news consumer – as a whole – no longer wants to be informed. They want to be affirmed, and any news which doesn’t fit neatly into their personal world view gets stereotyped as “bias.”
The bias of the mainstream media isn’t nearly as pervasive as some of you want to think.
“The bias of the mainstream media isn’t nearly as pervasive as some of you want to think.”
During this holiday season, you ought to put a bow on that @#$% sandwich.
Reality doesn’t need a bow, Jerry. It just goes down hard with people who don’t want to believe it.
One reason I like NPR and PBS is that they actually put the newsmakers on. For example I can hear about Israel-Palestine from Tsipi Livni and Hanan Ashrawi (spelling?) and then make my own decisions rather than having a talking head (or right-wing MSM talk radio guy) tell me what to think.
That reality is really taking shape with Chicago politics, isn’t it? What an amazing job of vetting by the media in the presidential election.
How about that unbiased reporting at the state level? Casinos, Supreme Court, Kline/Tiller, etc.?
City/County/Region – Arena, TIF’s, Jabara, Tiahrt/Tankers?
Media upper management (owners, editors) can and should endorse various positions. Should the reporters follow in lockstep? Absolutely not.
The problem isn’t the #$!$@# media. Finding and reporting on a fire doesn’t cause it to burn hotter or longer. We need to know what caused the inferno and how to prevent another one. It’s called learning from our mistakes.
jerry – Blogojetch is not the president-elect.
bth,
Last I checked Rezko, Emmanuel, Ayers, Jarrett, Jackson Jr. nor Blago are the president elect. They just live in the same neighborhood.
dharms,
Learning from our mistakes just might include exposing the arsonists before the fire is ignited.
From what I have read Rahm Emmanuel is the guy who blew the whistle in Blago.
“They just live in the same neighborhood.”
And it is a good thing when we call the cops on a bad neighbor. All too often the arsonist is a neighbor to a good guy.
I am a veteran of Chicago-area politics from my days as a suburban Republican up there.
I blame the media who constantly solicit the opinion of their financial “experts” to give dismal economic forecasts, which only heightens the hysteria. Reporting the news is one thing – a constant and uninterrupted focus on declining economic health is quite another.
Blago blew the whistle on himself. He was already being tapped on his powerplay with the Tribune editorial board. Emmanuel is toast, having burned too many bridges in his past.
I sincerely hope Obama is clean on this. Our country does not need something like that at this time.
“The problem isn’t the #$!$@# media. Finding and reporting on a fire doesn’t cause it to burn hotter or longer. We need to know what caused the inferno and how to prevent another one.”
However, even reporting a fire can be slanted. “It is not known whether the homeowner has a previous criminal record.” or “Neighbors report there were frequent disturbances at the residence.” Now tell me that the media can’t report the news without influencing what audiences think.
Hey hotheadred,
AMEN! We executed a 300K loan this morning to buy new equipment. The only thing different was the interest rate was about .5% higher than what I thought it was going to be. The reason? We were told it was because the Treasury is taking a cut for themselves off of the $750 billion loaned to the banks.
Personally, I feel better knowing that.
This thread bears out my point: News is whatever fits an individual’s world view. Anything else is bias.
The refusal to be informed is a profound weakness in the American electorate, in my opinion, and is in part responsible for the current economic predicament.
Bill,
I understand your point, but who is responsible on the content to which we are informed?
I am very informed on Sarah Palin’s moose chili recipe. But then again, she was asked about it.
My biggest complaint with the media is local – they are too lazy IMO. They will happily pass on press releases but do woefully little investigative reporting. I’d like to see a lot more ‘muckraking’ in City Hall and County Commission.
Reporters seem to be constantly looking for information that may indicate abnormal business practices. And when they can find something they delve into it big. But if it’s not there – it’s not there. And it needs to be of interest to a majority of reader/listeners. I personally feel there’s a problem with not getting board agendas out. However few people go to the meetings anyway so there is not a broad enough interest.
“However few people go to the meetings anyway so there is not a broad enough interest”
I disagree. It is not that we are not nterested; it is that (a) we know we will be ignored and (b) we work for a living.
An example: I spoke against the WaterWalk and provided written copy of my comments. I went into detail about why I didn’t think that the project would work. Contractors who stood to profit packed the room. Not only were my comments ignored but they were deleted from the official record. I find it rather amusing watching all the changes as they try to figure out just what that project will morph into. My warnings have been coming true.
On this last TIF hearing it would have cost me about $100 to attend. Perhaps if they had been willing to tell me what exactly was to be considered I would have spent that money. It’s too bad I can’t just charge that against my taxes that are paying for these developments.
Then I may have met you bth. I am speaking of other city boards. I’ve never had a problem getting city council agendas or green sheets since George Kolb arrived. Clerk Karen Sublett is very cooperative. Clerk/secretaries do summarize our comments but I’ve not heard of going back and deleting.
Instead of contractors they were probably members of the downtown support group and the developers. I’ve seldom seen a contractor at council meetings. They usually don’t get the job until after the job is let out for bids. And I don’t know that doing one job pays much better than another to them.
Our DAB’s do meet in the evenings and the council members do listen to them. And although your remarks may not have been persuasive on WaterWalk they may on another issue.
lonnie – I served on CPO when it was democratically elected. That was before they were replaced with non-elected boards.
As for obtaining agendas etc perhaps you should read today’s paper about the TIF. Sure, I culd get the PUBLISHED agenda – but it was BOGUS.
I do go to westside DAB meetings and occassionally south wichita meetings – specific neighborhoods in which I have involvements. But City Council meetings are just too expensive.
As for minutes – go back to th minutes of the original WaterWalk vote. You will see only that I (and I think also Peterjohn) spoke against the project. You will not find my reasons. I had, as always, provided written copies. They were deleted. You may be correct in the term ‘developer’ instead of ‘contractor.’ What I know is that the room was full of people who stood to make money from the WaterWalk project. Very few of us taxpayers who are not receiving taxpayer money.
Changing tpic a bit: Something the Eagle might consider.
Publish and keep up-to-date catalog of current and up-coming events in Wichita. Concerts, theater, all sorts of things. To some extent this is done in friday’s GO section for the weekend but in many ways that is too late. By the time I read that Friday night it might be difficult to make arrangements.
Our suggestion: something like the TV section in Sunday’s paper. Like GO a pullout ‘tabloid’ structure. It would contain everything coming up Monday-Sunday with contact information etc. It would be a great section for certain kinds of paid advertising – restaurants etc. I’d like to see University lectures included in that.
There is a false perception that there is nothing to do around here. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wichita has a lot going on – in fact I often find myself trying to decide between competing events. A ’spreadsheet’ might help me with that too
bth you do have more depth than I if you were active in the CPO’s. They were better than the DAB’s and had some real authority. I feel that Wichita Independent Neighborhoods has helped keep citizens voices involved but it’s not the same as having authority.
The city agenda amendment was a mistake and many have identified it as such. Even though parking had been before public hearings before if the public doesn’t recall it then they don’t and it needs to be clarified again.
If you would identify an approximate date for waterwalk minutes I would appreciate it. With the green sheets it takes me a long time to find a subject. The city search does not often help me.
It would tell me who you are.
lonny – I’m guessing about 5-6 years ago. It was the original vote for the project – a project that has absolutely ZERO resemblance to what we have now.
Another clue to who I am: I donated thousands of dollars worth of professional services to the City during the Gilbert/Mosley groundwater deal. I helped put it together and helped neutralize some of the more hawkish on the environmentalist side. I was unpaid; I did it as a citizen.
Back then Bob Knight once told my son Wichita was lucky to have me here. I subsequently became Knight’s enemy due to my comments about solid waste management and also some cautions I raised about trying to replicate the G/M deal in the North Industrial Corridor area. Not against doing it – just some professional warnings abou details. Lessons learned from Gilbert/Mosley.
Lonnie – Sept 2002. Note the fact that they note that I spoke but ignored anaything that was said:
http://www.wichita.gov/NR/rdonlyres/39E5143D-D08A-40D8-BBF6-8A41FCE84435/0/09102002Council_Minutes.txt
So, from the OFFICIAL minutes of the Council a citizen has no way to find out what the Council was warned about.
“Council Member Lambke said he was unsure why there is an atmosphere of urgency. This issue was not sent to the District Advisory Boards.”
Thank you so much bth. Enjoyable reading. I didn’t realize it’s been over six years and was called the East Bank Master Plan. Since I know Sybil I see your name and don’t believe I’ve had the opportunity to meet you. yet.
Dramatic difference in how our current City Clerk records and present minutes. You’re right only your name is mentioned as only the names of the 13 proponents who spoke. I also see even the agenda reports were summarized to only a couple of sentences.
How the names change in only six years. Bob Knight, Chris Cherches, Ray Trail, Pat Burnett, Lambke, Martz, Pisciotte, Gale, Food 4 Less…
Perhaps true Lonny. Like I said; after having been involved for a couple of decades a person gets jaded. So, it is not lack of interest, it is lack of faith that anything matters. Especially when it costs a minimum of $100 to attend a Council meeting.
Yes, over six years. And what we are seeing now at WW does not look at all like the bill of goods the Council narrowly approved. And my warnings have come true.
Meanwhile, PRIVATE developments that might have gone to the East Bank have gone to such places as WaterFront. The WW fiasco has not been an incentive to development; it has been a DISINCENTIVE to such development.
From my comments:
“As I listen to the rosy projections and claims about the Riverwalk Proposal I get a sense of déjà vu. Up to 2 million visitors per year; a tremendous boon to tourism; a large return on the City’s investment. But wait a minute. Weren’t we told the same things about our investments in Old Town by these very same developers? What do we have today to show for that investment? A collection of trendy bars and restaurants, a heavily subsidized hotel, and a failing Farm and Art Market. Now we are about to spend a couple of million more on the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame that is supposed to draw these tourists in. A large part of that investment is to spend $600,000 for a building that is worth only $300,000. It is ironic that the City has rejected another Museum proposal for Old Town, complaining that there is not sufficient parking available. If the parking in Old Town is insufficient to handle tourist traffic, the original reason for the development, then it seems that the planning was woefully inadequate.”
You will note that they did reverse course and let the Museum of World Treasures go into Old Town. They had to with the collapse of the Market there.