The Soapbox

Joined: 03/05/2014 Posts: 19521
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What's this?

I agree it's a huge problem in that...

...people no longer live in the same "reality", which makes it pretty tough to agree on things. (This board is exhibit #1.)

If you go back 25+ years (pre-Internet, pre-Fox, pre-talk radio), everyone got their news/info from the same handful of sources (wires, major papers, networks), so the vast majority of people agreed on what the facts were (speaking broadly), although they had differing opinions on what those facts mean.

In today's world, different facts (and different lies) are available everywhere, not to mention different opinions, including in the legacy "mainstream" media. As such, we simply do not live in the same world as one another with respect to what we believe is true vs. false or what happened vs. what didn't happen.

I prefer the current world, warts and all, as I'm not sure I see a better solution than encouraging the free flow of info and ideas.

(In response to this post by hoolstoptheheels)

Posted: 11/17/2020 at 12:33PM

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Current Thread:

Why are people still holding on to the notion of a "mainstream media"? -- Cav113 11/17/2020 11:06AM

Have you heard of Parler, the new social media app? -- Rodrigo 11/17/2020 3:06PM

Maybe I am ignorant but -- HoodatB 11/17/2020 1:46PM

This is exactly where I am, so you're not alone... -- Cav113 11/17/2020 4:24PM

Plenty of good sources for news and information, though maybe not on cable -- Capital City Hoo 11/17/2020 1:38PM

One differentiator of MSM is its free access -- Faz d. Hoo 11/17/2020 1:48PM

Great job starting this thread. Lots of interesting commentary below... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 1:27PM

That’s just part of the myth that the media lies to push left-wing agendas -- 111Balz 11/17/2020 1:24PM

Why are you even comparing OANN in that mix? That's the same ... -- Blah 11/17/2020 12:06PM

If most stuck with he "most reliable" box in the Media Bias Chart(pic/link) -- Hoo TV 11/17/2020 1:03PM

I don't trust any of those. They're all compromised by radical leftists ** -- Rodrigo 11/17/2020 3:14PM

Thanks. This chart is still extremely useful. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 1:09PM

One clarification.Sometimes Fox opinion makers don't just "bend" the truth. -- HoosWillWin 11/17/2020 12:20PM

I think you're talking about "alternative facts." -- NJHoo 11/17/2020 12:24PM

Mainstream Media, deep state. cancel culture, -- Lazarus 11/17/2020 11:46AM

I think the term "legacy media" is more accurate. The original 3 networks -- JMHoo 11/17/2020 11:44AM

Newsmax and OANN are nutjobs. That's not journalsim. ** -- Blah 11/17/2020 11:48AM

On the. -- Casual Fan 11/17/2020 1:39PM

Have you ever seen Newsmax? It's for the most part pretty mainstream -- JMHoo 11/17/2020 12:10PM

No but he'll endlessly opine on them based on what he's been told because -- Hoodafan 11/17/2020 12:46PM

At least you admit being a Newsmax follower. It makes a lot of sense now. -- Blah 11/17/2020 12:20PM

OAN also has about the most bland presentation. -- ryno hoo 11/17/2020 12:19PM

OAN are quacks. ** -- Blah 11/17/2020 12:27PM

They are story tellers and myth weavers ** -- NJHoo 11/17/2020 12:06PM

The predictable devolution from infotainment to disinfotainment is going -- Molina 11/17/2020 12:31PM

Worst take of the day ** -- ryno hoo 11/17/2020 11:42AM

I wasn't really seeking validation, but thanks anyway. ** -- Cav113 11/17/2020 12:05PM

Because it exists -- Beerman 11/17/2020 11:18AM

It exists but not in the way in which a lot of people wish to portray it. -- Chuck Taylor 11/17/2020 11:54AM

I have had to occasionally stop listening to CNN in my car because -- CAVern 11/17/2020 1:10PM

CNN really isn’t a general news channel anymore. It’s basically covering th -- 111Balz 11/17/2020 1:18PM

This is true, too. Which is why we shouldn't see this just as an impersonal -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 12:00PM

IMHO that's the wrong distinction to make -- Beerman 11/17/2020 11:59AM

A trend now is prominent journalists leaving media outlets for Substack, -- hoodeyo 11/17/2020 12:34PM

With regard to that statement, my brush was a bit too broad. -- Chuck Taylor 11/17/2020 12:23PM

That may or may not be true -- Beerman 11/17/2020 12:39PM

I suppose it's too late to bring back some form of the Fairness Doctrine? ** -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 11:23AM

I suppose they could, but who would they apply it to, -- hoolstoptheheels 11/17/2020 11:36AM

I actually think the cat is out of the bag for the classic Fairness -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 11:49AM

Sure, and it often makes like Twitter trolls are representative of broad -- hoolstoptheheels 11/17/2020 11:56AM

IMO, there's really... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 11:34AM

The Fairness Doctrine is not about equal time -- Beerman 11/17/2020 11:57AM

Yeah, I think "nebulous" is the operative word here and... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 1:34PM

Liberals only wanted it for talk radio because no one would -- ryno hoo 11/17/2020 11:56AM

I don’t actually think anything in the Fairness Doctrine required a -- hoolstoptheheels 11/17/2020 11:53AM

In social media it is often difficult to tell what is a lie and what isn't. -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 11:45AM

I'm not sure... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 11:56AM

These things are not the same, and they do drive each other. -- hoolstoptheheels 11/17/2020 12:10PM

I agree it's a huge problem in that... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 12:33PM

I have a somewhat more nuanced view. -- hoolstoptheheels 11/17/2020 12:56PM

I think by your second paragraph you are either an witting or unwitting -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 12:08PM

I won't get into the... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 12:42PM

LA, there is one thing I suggest you point your critical eye towards: -- hoolstoptheheels 11/17/2020 1:05PM

Yes, I totally agree with that... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 1:24PM

Your opinion is meaningless when the facts say otherwise. Therein lies the -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 12:46PM

Like I said,... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 1:15PM

Not once have you posted facts around mail-in voting. Sorry. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 1:42PM

Here’s how I would phrase it: -- hoolstoptheheels 11/17/2020 2:06PM

That is not a bad take. Sometimes you have to accept sloppy. ** -- Shenhoo 11/17/2020 11:44AM

That comes up from time to time. It's a bad idea IMHO -- Beerman 11/17/2020 11:33AM

I think that laws have not kept up with technology when it comes to both -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 11:44AM

I wonder if... -- Los Angeles Hoo 11/17/2020 11:51AM

Privacy is a goner -- Beerman 11/17/2020 11:50AM

I suggest judging individual speakers - particularly guests. ** -- Molina 11/17/2020 11:12AM

Really? Is all media just television? ** -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 11:10AM

No, those are examples - you'll find the same in old school print, online, ** -- Cav113 11/17/2020 11:13AM

I see. And is this a new phenomenon? ** -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 11:14AM

Geez, read the original post - that's the entire issue. Why are people... -- Cav113 11/17/2020 11:16AM

I don't know anybody doing that. But I look at it the other way. People -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 11:21AM

There are posts on this page where it's being done. ** -- Cav113 11/17/2020 12:08PM

Do you create false equivalencies often, or is this the exception? ** -- TomGlansAski 11/17/2020 11:07AM

The examples weren't intended to be equivalencies, but examples... -- Cav113 11/17/2020 11:12AM

I didn't say that. But degrees matter. CNN is in no way like Fox or OAN. -- TomGlansAski 11/17/2020 11:36AM

There’s no point in listening to rants on any radio or TV. Experts and -- Molina 11/17/2020 11:16AM

I will listen to right wing radio from time to time just to see -- HoosWillWin 11/17/2020 12:15PM

True. At this point, those programs are an echo chamber that is coordinated -- Molina 11/17/2020 12:25PM

And yet those may be biased as well. It's not like ex-military and former -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 11:24AM

It’s an individual’s perspective with any and all inherent biases. ** -- Molina 11/17/2020 12:08PM

Right and there's nothing wrong with that. As a consumer you do need to be -- Seattle .Hoo 11/17/2020 12:15PM