Memo to NBC: What the hell is wrong with you?

Michie

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I’m tired. Truly. I’ve grown weary of trying to defend the indefensible and explain the inexplicable. For years, people have stomped their feet and pounded their fists and snorted “Liberal media bias!” and I’ve always tut-tutted and shooshed them and said, “No, no. Calm down. They meant well.

Memo to NBC: What the hell is wrong with you?
 

Fantine

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I think that the journalistic profession attracts idealists, and I think that idealists tend to be liberals.

But in the information age, people who like their news served up with a conservative bias can tune in on Fox News, or Clear Channel Radio. They can read the Post in NY. They can read National Review.

And so there are conservative journalists, conservative bloggers, conservative videographers, etc.

If the writer doesn't like NBC, he doesn't have to watch NBC. He doesn't have to stomp his foot and throw a fit about it.
 
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Mikey123

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I think that the journalistic profession attracts idealists, and I think that idealists tend to be liberals.

But in the information age, people who like their news served up with a conservative bias can tune in on Fox News, or Clear Channel Radio. They can read the Post in NY. They can read National Review.

And so there are conservative journalists, conservative bloggers, conservative videographers, etc.

If the writer doesn't like NBC, he doesn't have to watch NBC. He doesn't have to stomp his foot and throw a fit about it.
All of which has NOTHING to do with the blatant LIE accomplished through SLEAZY editing. Justify it all you want. You would be wrong.
 
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Brooklyn Knight

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All of which has NOTHING to do with the blatant LIE accomplished through SLEAZY editing. Justify it all you want. You would be wrong.

I said this a while back: What we call "news" is nothing more than 80% opinions followed by 20% fact.

Neutral, impartial, unbiased...you're not going to get that with the major "news" corps here.
 
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Fantine

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And both conservative and liberal media outlets and personalities sometimes insert opinion into their news and sometimes stretch or obscure the truth or even manufacture their own truths.

Anyone who says that the problem is the liberal news media hasn't watched or listened to Hannity, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Coulter, Fox News, Fox News Radio, Clear Channel, etc.

I will listen to critcism of THE news media with an open mind. I find criticism of only the liberal or only the conservative news media to be only partially true.
 
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Mikey123

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And both conservative and liberal media outlets and personalities sometimes insert opinion into their news and sometimes stretch or obscure the truth or even manufacture their own truths.

Anyone who says that the problem is the liberal news media hasn't watched or listened to Hannity, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Coulter, Fox News, Fox News Radio, Clear Channel, etc.

I will listen to critcism of THE news media with an open mind. I find criticism of only the liberal or only the conservative news media to be only partially true.
This had nothing to do with "inserting opinion." Seriously - did you even read the OP?
 
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Fantine

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Brooklyn Knight alluded to "80% opinion, 20% fact."

My comments have to do with the blinders the writer is wearing because:

- it is not a "liberal" media problem. It is just as offensive in conservative media.

- he has other choices. If he wants to listen to news with his perspective mixed in, he has many choices.
 
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Wolseley

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For some reason, all I can hear in my mind is Rush doing a nasal, sarcastic impression of "ANdrea MITchell, NBC NEWS, WASHington!"

^_^

If the writer doesn't like NBC, he doesn't have to watch NBC. He doesn't have to stomp his foot and throw a fit about it.

I'm curious, Fantine---would you say the same about someone who, oh, say, had a problem with the way the Holy See is handling the recalcitrant American nuns?

"If they don't like the way the Vatican does things, they don't have to follow the Vatican. They don't have to stomp their feet and throw fits about it."

Do enlighten us---I'm intensely curious.
 
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MoonlessNight

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This was the position I used to be in with NPR. Then I turned to it and heard some of their talking heads talk about how "the Vatican is punishing nuns for helping out the poor, while they have never done anything about the priests who abuse children." When I heard that I said "that's it, I'm done with this garbage," turned stations and never looked back.
 
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Wolseley

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Yeah, basically the same thing happened with me back in 2003; I got so sick of the sewage flowing out of the TV (and not just liberal political bilge---the content of the shows, the soft-core inappropriate content commercials, the ethics and morality being expressed and espoused as normal) that I simply shut it off, and that was that.

Haven't watched TV since. I don't have cable, and I don't even have a digital converter box. When they were all having that big hullabaloo a few years ago about swtiching over from analog TV to digital, it didn't make the slightest bit of difference to me one way or the other, because I don't have TV. :)

If I go to somebody's house and they have the Lobotomy Box blaring, I can only endure it for a few minutes, and then I have to leave. When you've been away from it for as long as I have, exposure to it is unbearable---I keep asking myself, "How in God's Name can they sit there and watch that stuff?!?!???"
 
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Brooklyn Knight

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My advice - read foreign news and don't watch television news.

Even some of them are biased; mostly leaning left. I mean, I can understand getting a new perspective that isn't pro-West, but there are people who actually hold up RT (Russia Today) in high esteem; yep, nothing like getting your news source from a company that is backed by the Kremlin and is the mouthpiece for Putin.

I'll stick to PBS.
 
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Fantine

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I kind of like the BBC (I can get it on satellite radio) and its amused and bemused look at what's happening.

From their perspective, they hear American paranoia about "socialism" and are ROFL'g and LMAO'g all over the place.

Incredulous! Amazed!

To use a British metaphor, they probably liken it to Twiggy fearing she's gotten fat.
 
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MikeK

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Haven't watched TV since. I don't have cable, and I don't even have a digital converter box.

(high-five)

Life is better without TV. While we own TVs, we don't subscribe to any non-web service. Free, quality kids show on Apple TV and Netflix costs almost nothing. Our friends in Russia are good about streaming our live sporting events back to us and there's nothing else I care to see in real time. (and truth be told, I don't watch much sports either - just enough to get the kids interested enough to want to be active and involved)

"What the hell is wrong with NBC?" The same thing that's wrong with ABC, CBS and Fox - their viewers are content with garbage ands in many cases, demand garbage.
 
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Brooklyn Knight

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I kind of like the BBC (I can get it on satellite radio) and its amused and bemused look at what's happening.

From their perspective, they hear American paranoia about "socialism" and are ROFL'g and LMAO'g all over the place.

Incredulous! Amazed!

To use a British metaphor, they probably liken it to Twiggy fearing she's gotten fat.

...And it has nothing to do with them being left-leaning?

All someone has to do is go on their station, say "Euro" and "Nigel Farage," and they get a few sweat beads on their brows.
 
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MKJ

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Even some of them are biased; mostly leaning left. I mean, I can understand getting a new perspective that isn't pro-West, but there are people who actually hold up RT (Russia Today) in high esteem; yep, nothing like getting your news source from a company that is backed by the Kremlin and is the mouthpiece for Putin.

I'll stick to PBS.

American everything is so right, it is hard for anything else not to seem left! Being biased isn't the same as having political views - I'd say it is actually much better to have an idea where the people telling the news are coming from in that sense, so you can account for any unintentional spin. Bias is whn they distort facts or being unfair in their use of journalism to forward their own views.

The big difference is that overall, non-American news stations have a very different attitude - they tend, even when they are from a particular perspective, to avoid being overtly partisan. There is still an idea that journalists are supposed to cultivate neutrality and that is a noble thing. I can think of journalists here that were Conservatives or Liberals or supported the NDP - I would not, however, expect to see the same kind of spin from them as I see in most American news sources. I can listen to a weekly political show with a host I know is left-ish, and he still doesn't give the political left a free ride in interviews, he still asks the hard questions, he doesn't try and trick or embarrass the right-leaning politicians, the show covers issues that show both sides in a positive and negative light. And I can think of any number of such instances.
 
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Brooklyn Knight

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American everything is so right, it is hard for anything else not to seem left!

If NBC, CNN, NY Times, Huffington Post are seen as being "right," then no wonder why some of you outsiders are quick to label those on the right as fascist.

Being biased isn't the same as having political views - I'd say it is actually much better to have an idea where the people telling the news are coming from in that sense, so you can account for any unintentional spin. Bias is whn they distort facts or being unfair in their use of journalism to forward their own views.

...Have you seen some of the news outlets with regards to the Euro? You would think everyone in the Eurozone is rolling around in money like Scrooge McDuck.

The big difference is that overall, non-American news stations have a very different attitude - they tend, even when they are from a particular perspective, to avoid being overtly partisan. There is still an idea that journalists are supposed to cultivate neutrality and that is a noble thing. I can think of journalists here that were Conservatives or Liberals or supported the NDP - I would not, however, expect to see the same kind of spin from them as I see in most American news sources. I can listen to a weekly political show with a host I know is left-ish, and he still doesn't give the political left a free ride in interviews, he still asks the hard questions, he doesn't try and trick or embarrass the right-leaning politicians, the show covers issues that show both sides in a positive and negative light. And I can think of any number of such instances.

This is true, but only to a degree.

Ever hear of TVN24? It's a Polish news channel.

Unless mocking and constantly pointing the finger of blame at PiS (Law and Justice Party) is seen as being unbiased, neutral, then I concur.
 
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eastcoast_bsc

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I think that the journalistic profession attracts idealists, and I think that idealists tend to be liberals.

But in the information age, people who like their news served up with a conservative bias can tune in on Fox News, or Clear Channel Radio. They can read the Post in NY. They can read National Review.

And so there are conservative journalists, conservative bloggers, conservative videographers, etc.

If the writer doesn't like NBC, he doesn't have to watch NBC. He doesn't have to stomp his foot and throw a fit about it.


Ground control to major Tom
Ground control to major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
(Ten) Ground control (Nine) to major Tom (Eight)
(Seven, six) Commencing countdown (Five), engines on (Four)
(Three, two) Check ignition (One) and may gods (Blastoff) love be with you

This is ground control to major Tom, you've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare
....
 
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Brooklyn Knight

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^^I actually prefer the new version:

Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ
Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ
Can’t win by myself but with your help I might
(Ten)Tim Tebow (Nine) to Jesus Christ(Eight)
(Seven, Six) Commencing 4th (Five) down hut hut hike (Four) (Three, Two) Snap the football (One) and (Touchdown) may God’s love be with me

This is Jesus Christ to Tim Tebow
Please leave me alone
Don’t you know my day of rest is Sunday!
 
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