The Psychological Damage Inflicted by our Media

[Yollam]

The one thing I am most looking forward to about leaving this country in April is to finally get away from Big Brother's telescreens. I don't watch a lot of network or cable news, but honestly, it creates a background noise of sensationalized fear that just seems soul-destroying.

"White Girl Missing!"
"RUNAWAY BRIDE!!!"
"Sharks on the ATTACK!"
"STORM MAYHEM, CITY UNDER SIEGE!!!"
"DEMS' LATEST ANTI-AMERICAN GAFFE!"
"BUSH POSES HEROICALLY WITH KATRINA BUMS!"
"THE CHILD MOLESTER ON YOUR BLOCK - HAVE YOU CHECKED THE REGISTRY?!"
"TONIGHT ON COPS - MORE POOR, DRUG-ADDICTED PEOPLE HUMILIATED ON NATIONAL TELEVISION"

and on and on and on.

We get the Japanese news here via satellite. Although it's a little more Bush-friendly than I would like (as is the Prime Minister), it is at least dispassionate and doesn't cover ridiculous gossip tabloid fodder.

Enough already. I'm so tired of the media saying "BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!" to me all the time. ENOUGH.

[Angry Girl]

1. U.S. Propaganda Bureau to Get 90% More Funding than PBS

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2445929&mesg_id=2445929

[EstimatedProphet]

2. That reminds me of last night's Rita Crosby promo

It was something like "Puppy Terror!" I laughed so hard I was barely able to follow what they said later.

[tetedur]

3. How did you like the head trip of the miners who were alive

but were really dead except for one? Did anyone find out who was the person who spread that bit of info? Did anyone ask? Did anyone find out who were the shooters in New Orleans during the "Katrina exercise?" After the storm they tell us the violence was largely exaggerated. During the storm, it was part of the reason people couldn't be rescued.

I cannot trust anything the government tells me anymore. I do find fascinating their lies and the psy-op effect it has on the minds of those who listen and believe in them. 100 miles away from New Orleans, where I live, gun stores SOLD OUT during Katrina. Why are we so afraid?

[Kurovski]

4. I believe there was a study that revealed those who watched

broadcast news on a regular basis thought that the crime rate was much higher than it was, that the danger they thought they were in was actuality much lower than the perception.

Just off the top of my head, the risk of dying in a terrorist attack is an enormous amount lower than dying from a hospital's negligence.

And yet so many in the home of the brave cower over "terra-ists" while just shrugging off, say, greater risks of cancer death with a "Well, ya gotta die from something." :crazy:

Good luck in your new home! It sounds exciting.

[Yollam]

5. Thanks.

One thing I liked about Japan was that there was a strict division between serious news and gossipy crap, which is shown on "Wide Shows".

I wish we had that here - nothing irrelevant/sensationalistic/gossipy/dumb should be allowed to be labeled as "news".

One thing I did not like was the frequent citing of statistics on the news showing the rising number of crimes committed by foreigners. I would prefer that whenever they show that that they would also show the statistics showing that the vast majority of all crimes in Japan are still committed by native Japanese. The last thing they need to be doing is stoking up more xenophobia there.