I need to vent on something

Life has always been an IQ test of sorts where the "fittest" are those who correctly interpret data from their environment around them.

News media, in case this isn't obvious, is just another consumer product. In a free market it is shaped by the "wants" not "needs" of the consumer of this news. News product from nations lacking a free press are a different animal entirely, often vehicles for propaganda (I suggest checking out Link TV for examples of how different news from some middle eastern theocracies can be and in SA Chauvez has shut down most independent news organizations in his country for obvious reasons).

While news presumably is about a cold presentation of factual events, there is a huge range of selective omission and presentation for the taste of the customer. If the news is not pleasing or satisfying to the consumer, it will not prosper as a business. In many cases this mean giving the customer what they already expect. Scare them a little to keep them dependent, and don't give them too much of things they don't want to hear (things like maybe it isn't everybody else's fault we're where we are). 

My first experience that led me to hold news reportage in a different perspective, was being a student in Boston in the late 60's and being present at anti war rallies. Then seeing the TV and newspaper reports about events I experienced first hand. The media didn't overtly distort the facts, but it was little like that joke about 10 blind men trying to describe an elephant by feel. It all depends on where you were standing.  ;D

We need to try to get as much raw data as possible, and form our own opinions after evaluating this data through the filters of our life experience. I find it odd that people are so quick to search out and embrace the opinions of others.. Life will educate you if you just pay attention.

JR

"We don't print the truth; we print what we know, we print what people tell us and that means we print lies ."

Ben Bradlee, Managing Editor, Washington Post.

Consul said:

It's because the article talking about the grounding of planes from the ash cloud being a bad decision happened to be on the Daily Mail web site.

Click to expand...

who says it was a bad decicion?. the airlines who lost money from being banded from flying or the authoritys who would have taken the blame if planes started to fall from the skies?..
no flights crached, so the ban was unnessecery?...how many crashed planes would be one too many?...
..I dont know, but judging from the ash accumulated on my car, parked in Stockholm/Sweden that week, I wouldn't have fellt too confident flying...
and it was nice and quiet too.. ;D  news is a point of wiev..
J 

I've given up discussing politics or religion (or favorite computer for that matter!) online as it usually quickly turns from a discussion to a labeling session (you must be this...you are obviously that) and then the veiled name calling and put down throwing inevitably starts.
Sad really.
I was discussing the whole health care reform deal with one fellow on a friend's facebook page and he started to, in a roundabout way, call me stupid, said my physical issues couldn't compare to his eventhough he NEVER ASKED what my issues were and the high school I attended which was the same as his/my friend whose facebook page we were posting on was gravely lacking.
I didn't know this guy and he claimed to know me well by the 2 sentences I had posted.
What killed me is he was against public health care, which is his right and I was totally fine with BUT he admitted to being on Medicaid. What made it worse is his picture on facebook revealed why he most likely had all the health issues he claimed to have... he is morbidly obese.
Yarggghhh!!!! I wanted to say GET UP OFF YOUR FAT ASS AND MOVE AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER!!! EXERCISE!!
I gave up at that point and admitted to being an idiot and that he must be right.  I think he actually gloated. Sarcasm doesn't translate well online sometimes.

Yeah so all newpapers are biased depending upon your angle and most folks use their computers as a s*#t shield which protects them from any responsibility for what the throw at others online. Personally I like debates but face to face....with people I know and respect whether they agree with me or not at least then I know something good may come of it.
Meh..anymore I'm like the Peter Sellers character in the movie Being There as, "I like to watch."

Enough ranting.  

I only just got round to reading this, but going back to your very first point, I think you are right on the money!
I woudl say that the VAST majority of news stories are biased in some way, not even intentionally, but if a reporter interperets something incorrectly and they voice this over a video clip of the action, they have already affected your oppinion of the situation.
Any instance of one person passing on a story to another will always result in changes of the facts (if the facts are known at the time)
Obviously as many have said in this thread, many stories are twisted intentionally and to a greater extent in order to benefit people or groups, and usually result in money being given to the newspaper/broadcasting company. My point is just that even those with the greatest intention can still report the news inaccurately. So its always worth checking a few sources before taking anything as fact.

You wouldnt buy a pair of monitors after reaing one reveiw would you?