BEDA Entry 14: The Media

[miner_beth]

As someone who works on a newspaper, I have learned first-hand how writers can manipulate a story to their advantage. Though my campus newspaper isn't big news or anything, I've seen how a writer's word-choices and an editor's cuts can manipulate a story to mean something outside of it original intents. In some "genres of communication" (quoting

Comments

[bellacaterina]

These sort of things frustrate me for several reasons, the one at the forefront being that I'm.. well, gullible might not be the right word, but it gets at what I mean. I often don't know what to believe. :/

[livin4hymn]

With the media these days I think a lot of the focus is getting information out as quickly as possible so that those who read/watch can know as soon as possible what is going on. However, with most things that are rushed, the quality of the information is somewhat lacking.

Kind of a shame to find out Cassie Bernal's story is probably just a game of telephone gone wrong tho =/

That facebook story is definitely something they would use in a Stats class to show about sample size and such

[xmandiepandiex]

I remember when my English teacher told our class to just write as if our opinion is fact, rather than put "I think/I believe". But that applies when the audience knows that you're stating what you've found and think.

I think its lame -to say the least- when journalists (and other social scientists) claim they have the best interest of the public and keep their bias out of their writing or research, but their work is obviously one-sided. It's a lot different to say your objective, than to actually attempt to be.
Bias is obviously part of being human, but you've gotta admit to it.

Also, that story on Columbine was really interesting. I think in Human Stress Management class? textbook, it said that teenagers are way more likely to be depressed or show signs of depression. Mental health needs to be taken way more seriously, especially at that age.

[livin4hymn]

I wonder if the Nicole lyrics in your comment to me should count as your Nicole for the day? :-p

[we_saw_icarus]

what what! i got a shout out! Anyway, all narcissism aside, I agree with the comment that sometimes news for the sake of news and info really contributes to unreliable reporting.