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How Media Narratives Became More Important Than Facts

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  • How Media Narratives Became More Important Than Facts

    How Media Narratives Became More Important Than Facts

    The sad state of journalism.

    The day that I told CBS News I wished to leave my job as investigative correspondent ahead of my contract, I didn’t give a reason. I didn’t see the point because the problem wasn’t fixable.

    Nor was it isolated to CBS News.

    My own take is that—as our industry has changed in ways that have become undeniable to most—I was a bit of the canary in the coal mine. By that, I mean I believe I was among the first to really pay attention to the increasingly effective operations to shape and censor news—the movements to establish narratives rather than follow facts—and to see the growing influence of smear operations, political interests, and corporate interests on the news.

    It’s not that I’m smarter than my peers, and I’m surely far less smart than many, but my particular brand of off-narrative reporting happened to draw the intense attention of the smear operators and propagandists, so I began to study it.

    A case in point: the smear that was promulgated when I left CBS. It was often incorrectly reported that I told CBS management I was quitting due to liberal media bias. That false story turned out to be convenient for both political sides, and largely survives today. It simply wasn’t rooted in fact. And I don’t recall reporters even asking me whether it was true. Once a few articles reported that it was, others simply copied the claim and adopted it as if established fact, eventually without attribution. Now there would be no point in trying to clarify it. After all, Wikipedia says it’s true. No going back from that.

    Powerful smear groups and certain interests—including some within CBS at the time—started the narrative that I was “conservative,” not because they necessarily believed it, but as a tool to “controversialize” the reporting I was doing that was contrary to powerful interests. The idea is that if I can be portrayed as a partisan, then my reporting can be more easily dismissed.

    The Narrative Requires

    In fact, prior to the operation to push the narrative that I was “conservative,” my reporting had been lauded by a diverse group of observers, including the likes of Rachel Maddow, who once delivered an entire monologue on an investigative expose I did on the “charity” of then-Rep. Stephen Buyer (R- Ind.). My most recent Emmy award was for an undercover investigation into Republican fundraising....
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

  • #2
    There are many 'fact-checking' companies that have formed. They will advise what news has been approved, especially because these companies work closely with government. The various news organizations (and Google and Facebook?) can rely on this expertise. This process is reminiscent of Pravda in the old days.

    Comment


    • #3
      Or Microsoft's "News Guard" which rates the reliability of stories based on the source rather than the story itself. In many cases, it flags true stories from conservative sources as unreliable, and false stories from liberal sources as trustworthy.
      Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
      But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
      Than a fool in the eyes of God


      From "Fools Gold" by Petra

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by mikewhitney View Post
        There are many 'fact-checking' companies that have formed. They will advise what news has been approved, especially because these companies work closely with government. The various news organizations (and Google and Facebook?) can rely on this expertise. This process is reminiscent of Pravda in the old days.
        Government? Lolno. Progressive government, now there's a possibility. Ironic that you seem to be swallowing the Venezuelan government's narrative hook, line, and sinker.
        Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

        Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
        sigpic
        I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
          Government? Lolno. Progressive government, now there's a possibility. Ironic that you seem to be swallowing the Venezuelan government's narrative hook, line, and sinker.
          I saw this traced through concerning the Canadian government and "fact checkers." This fact-checking is more in alignment with progressive/democrat government. We rarely get another viewpoint in the news today. Mountain Man just mentioned about Microsoft.

          I'm trying to contain my smirking at your ironic humor.

          Comment


          • #6
            She touched on one aspect of the news today that really bothers me. Especially with online news articles. Nobody does any original reporting any more. They just report on other people's articles. Sometimes you can dig three or four articles down before you get to the original article. That's not reporting. That's just laziness.

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            • #7
              Not only is it true that a lot of ‘news’ is delivered with a strong political bias but consumers of news are drawn to the stories that match their personal politics. In that sense they are locked in and it is very difficult for the average punter to escape to something approaching reality.
              “I think God, in creating man, somewhat overestimated his ability.” ― Oscar Wilde
              “And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence” ― Bertrand Russell
              “not all there” - you know who you are

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                She touched on one aspect of the news today that really bothers me. Especially with online news articles. Nobody does any original reporting any more. They just report on other people's articles. Sometimes you can dig three or four articles down before you get to the original article. That's not reporting. That's just laziness.
                I've noticed that, too. There used to be a word for that... um... plagiarizing? And, yeah, they'll often give the credit somewhere in the article, but for the most part, it's just cut-n-paste with no additional analysis or challenge.

                Often, I'll just choose a whole sentence to copy, then search for that exact term, and you'll find MULTIPLE "same stories".

                Now, it USED to be that the source was somebody like Associated Press, and that's understandable, but at least AP USED to do the homework and provide sources.
                The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by firstfloor View Post
                  Not only is it true that a lot of ‘news’ is delivered with a strong political bias but consumers of news are drawn to the stories that match their personal politics. In that sense they are locked in and it is very difficult for the average punter to escape to something approaching reality.
                  Which is why I often force myself to endure the ClintonNewsNetwork or check in on your favorite girlfriend. I like to see what the crazy extreme leftist pinko commie lying scumbag phony journalists are saying. You know... balance!
                  The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                    I've noticed that, too. There used to be a word for that... um... plagiarizing? And, yeah, they'll often give the credit somewhere in the article, but for the most part, it's just cut-n-paste with no additional analysis or challenge.

                    Often, I'll just choose a whole sentence to copy, then search for that exact term, and you'll find MULTIPLE "same stories".

                    Now, it USED to be that the source was somebody like Associated Press, and that's understandable, but at least AP USED to do the homework and provide sources.
                    The other style of article I can't stand is when someone just reports what other people said on twitter and what the responses are. If I want to read twitter I will read twitter. I don't need someone to copy and paste a bunch of tweets and call that news.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                      Which is why I often force myself to endure the ClintonNewsNetwork or check in on your favorite girlfriend. I like to see what the crazy extreme leftist pinko commie lying scumbag phony journalists are saying. You know... balance!
                      Cable News isn't news anymore, it is 24 hour commentary.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                        Cable News isn't news anymore, it is 24 hour commentary.
                        And that's a YUGE part of the problem, eh? It used to be that they'd have to do the research, gather the facts, and condense them into a half hour newscast (probably closer to 11 minutes, given traffic, weather and commercials).

                        Now, you see the cable news people breathlessly speculating realtime "we don't know if this is an active shooter situation yet, but... blah blah blah..... we are FIRST ON THE SCENE... blah blah blah....."

                        I can't even force myself to watch Shepherd Smith in such an event - breathlessly telling us we don't want to speculate, while launching into speculation...
                        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Is good journalism just as fantastic as super powered characters wearing brightly colored costumes?
                          If it weren't for the Resurrection of Jesus, we'd all be in DEEP TROUBLE!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by mikewhitney View Post
                            I saw this traced through concerning the Canadian government and "fact checkers." This fact-checking is more in alignment with progressive/democrat government. We rarely get another viewpoint in the news today. Mountain Man just mentioned about Microsoft.

                            I'm trying to contain my smirking at your ironic humor.
                            Smirking because... what you posted more or less validates my contention? There's a new one.
                            Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

                            Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
                            sigpic
                            I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                              Which is why I often force myself to endure the ClintonNewsNetwork or check in on your favorite girlfriend. I like to see what the crazy extreme leftist pinko commie lying scumbag phony journalists are saying. You know... balance!
                              Drudge does a good job of providing a cross section of stories across the political spectrum.
                              Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                              But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                              Than a fool in the eyes of God


                              From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                              Comment

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