Indeed - the US printed media is pretty dire alright!
In comparison to which media ?
I always heard that the US media intentionally keeps those kinds of stories off the front pages and always tries to keep everything positive; a kinda "think happy thoughts and athe bad stuff will go away mentality"?!
Similiarly Its the reasoning behind those special reports after news bulletins, they dont want to leave the public with a sour taste of another Irag story but rather close with a story about how 12 ducks were recued from an old pond and given a new home blah blah blah.........
I had that preconception too and felt sure some people would have a problem with my observation yet humbly submitted it anyway. I'm not talking about the issue of propaganda in support of any government (which took the form in UK broadsheets of jingoistic interviews of 'role models' who were young patriotic teens who supported Blair while expressing a desire to go to the war in Iraq and a portrayal of Blair as church going etc).
I'm talking about reverse propaganda here which seems so negative. Even the duck story appears exploitative when written about in our newspapers. In an Irish duck story the ducks wouldnt have survived !
On the day in question when my American friend was visiting, we fell out of a club at 5 am and walked into a newsagents at some wee hour of the morning and every single one of the newspapers had a sensationalist headline on the day.
Only about week ago there was a headline in the Herald (I think) which screamed something along the lines of 'MADDY SIGHTED IN DUBLIN'. My bull**** detector went off straight away. How the hell could she be sighted in Dublin and not be safe at home already by the time the paper was printed. Absolutely anyone who saw Madeline that poor unfortunate girl walking around Dublin would start kicking some serious ass. I know I would start kicking ass if I saw her with someone and I resent the newspapers winding people up with headlines which evaporate into lies once the main story is read.
Its flippant and disrespectful attitudes towards real issues like this which I cant stand.
All we want is the truth not sensationism. By the way I heard the opposite that if you want to keep people down you just keep giving them depressing news. I will never forgive goverment and papers in the 1980s because they gave one no hope. This country is as good a country as is in the world at the present, thank God.The media got burned during this election they thought they had more power than they did, they probaly thought that people had respect for them.
I agree with the sentiment about sensationalism. I think the media serve a useful purpose as another force in democratic public life but they have failed on many levels.
A glaring example for many of the AAM'ers is the way property is advertised with 'assured guaranteed returns' when the reality is nothing of the sort. Any finance editor worth his salt would have commented on this an extremely long time ago. The fact the media earns money from these exploitative adverts is proof they are not any more above corruption than politicians are.
There is good news as well as bad news but too often the headline screams the negative news by default. They should include all the facts inside in medium to small print for anyone who wants to find them instead of trying to shock and insult the senses with a headline frequently taking poetic license. Maybe thats what people buy newspapers for but it wouldnt be one of my reasons.
*rant over*