Right news, Left news, How about a just the fucking facts news?

[hootinholler]

I don't know how many people remember when news was separated from commentary, but I do.

I guess I'm just pinin' for the fjords.

-Hoot

[bluestateguy]

1. What is the definition of a fact?

See how hard it is.

[hootinholler]

3. Uncle Walter didn't seem to have a lot of trouble with it...

A fact is something that has occurred and there is evidence to support it, without having to suspend reason.

-Hoot

[emilyg]

27. He was a class act.

[many a good man]

4. Difference between facts and interpretation of facts

If we can't agree on the facts then we have no hope.

[JuniperLea]

6. Something that has actual existence...

An actual occurance... the truth.

There you go.

Fact = Truth.

See how easy that is?

[hfojvt]

17. it's not that easy though

because I could spend half an hour of news on a bunch of stories. First, I could report on the John Edwards affair. Is he marrying Rialle? Was he left out of the will? Well, those are all actual facts. Then I could do a story of some celebrity. Maybe Paris Hilton. Maybe Britney Spears. Hey, all of those happened too. Then maybe there is a press release from Americans for Prosperity that I can cover. Well, they really did give a press release, so what they said is sort of news. Then there's the weather and sports and some crime and car accidents, and zip zot, there you have some supposed 'news' that is slanted to the right, while seeming objective.

There is always a non-objective decision to make about "what stories will we talk about".

[hootinholler]

18. Good luck with market share then. n/t

[Old and In the Way]

22. Like Climate Change?

You have 1000's of scientists who agree that we are experiencing global warming with reams of data to back it up. But the other side can find a few paid for corporate shills to neutralize the "facts' and support their agenda. That's why we can do policy anymore...the Republicans won't agree to facts that have consensus with those that study the issues. Climate change, the economy, evolution, foreign policy....don't matter - as long as we have a bought and paid media willing to give ideology the same weighting as facts...we are screwed.

[JuniperLea]

24. The facts on that we can see right now...

There is a hell of a lot of water in the air right now. That's what happens when a big wet place gets hotter... evaporation happens.

Of course your not so friendly RW nutjob will snark you off and say, see! it's snowing like crazy! It's raining like crazy! Like that's some sort of proof. They won't even listen to a word about evaporation or the Earth constantly seeking a balance.

The facts still prove them wrong. You can lead a horse to water...

[Old and In the Way]

26. The fact is (sorry for the pun), we are paralyzed by our inability

to have discussions and policy made on facts. Facts aren't immutable objects...and what's a fact today may not be a fact tomorrow. But if we can't make policy based on the facts as we best know them at the moment, we are doomed to become a 2nd or 3rd rate country. And republicans will gladly allow this to happen if they can maintain their power on ride down.

[JuniperLea]

2. I remember...

They actually put a picture up behind the talking head that read: Commentary.

[Lorien]

30. "Commentary" or "editorial" or "opinion" in the corner of the screen

journalists prided themselves on how objective they were. Hard to imagine now, post Fairness Doctrine.

[JuniperLea]

44. I remember seeing Walter Cronkite and others...

Getting hot under the collar and spouting off at the writers when something was inaccurate. Today's "broadcasters" wouldn't know the difference.

[cui bono]

5. Then we just have to worry about which facts they choose to report. n/t

[seabeyond]

7. yup nt

[damntexdem]

8. Whose facts?

True the TV news facts used to be less-biased, but they were always biased nonetheless.

[hootinholler]

9. THey may have been biased on which facts were reported, but diversity took care of that

The facts themselves were always, um, factual.

Lying on the news led to disgrace and actual fines.

-Hoot

[Lorien]

31. It's so sad that the young have no experience with this. nt

[gratuitous]

10. It well known that facts have a liberal bias!

You're trying to silence Fox News! It's censorship! AAAaaaaaahhhh!!!1!11!!ELEVEN!!

[slackmaster]

11. A-fucking-MEN!

Editorializing has become the norm.

[hootinholler]

12. The norm?

It has replaced actual reporting, so I guess so.

-hoot

[slackmaster]

13. Norm!

[hootinholler]

16. NORM!!11!1

:rofl:

[driver8]

14. Pinin' for the fjords???!!

'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker!

Amen on your comment regarding the news...how about just telling us the facts and keep your opinions to yourself?

[woo me with science]

15. K&R

It's outrageous that so many of them don't even try anymore.

[craigmatic]

19. The facts have a liberal bias. nt

[Ahpook]

20. Another question which I find extremely intriguing..

Imagine in some strange way(never happen, but lets toy with the idea)one of our TV stations went to straight up fact based reporting. Would it even catch on in this era of fluff?

Could folks deal without their knowledge of who is fucking who in richy land? Would they find real reporting boring while eating diseased and abused dead cattle during nightly prime time?

Just a thought!!

[Shandris]

23. I don't think it would work out.

People are not only apathetic about acquiring and using information, they generally will actively avoid any opportunity or situation that might present them with the mere opportunity to learn.

Once, a cousin of mine who is notoriously non-political explained it best: "If I don't know anything about them and don't vote, then it's not my fault when everything goes wrong."

Indiana wisdom at it's finest. :eyes:

[Old and In the Way]

25. Wouldn't matter.

The ones who need to know the facts would prefer to get their "news" from sources that pander to their ignorance.

[Uzybone]

21. KnR

people are more consumed by personalities and invective than they are by facts.

[theophilus]

28. That is SO 20th Century. n/t

[Lorien]

29. I remember, which is why I read the foreign press.

I don't want ANYONE telling me how I should feel about the issues!

Bring back the Fairness Doctrine; and the "OPINION" labels!

[Celeborn Skywalker]

45. The Fairness Doctrine

still wouldn't apply to cable news which is the worst offender. It wouldn't apply to satellite radio either.

[Maru Kitteh]

32. Yup - they can keep the carnival barkers, right OR left. I don't mind opinion pieces, but

call them what they are, and don't try to pretend you're delivering "news," or informing me.

[blondeatlast]

33. I'm feelin' old.

My political teeth were cut on Woodstein.

[Generic Brad]

34. I would totally watch that

"Fucking Facts News"! You'd best go to Go Daddy and register the domain name.

[yodermon]

35. *WHICH* fucking facts? There's too many of them. n/t

[hootinholler]

38. LOL -- The um, factual ones.

Those other ones are opinion.

-Hoot

[yodermon]

39. No. Every News Outlet does de facto editorializing by choosing what NOT to report.

The volume of "newsworthy facts" out there is too huge to consume.
I guess what we need is a "news-o-pedia" which really does report every conceivable newsworthy fact.
The we can all filter what we want to see.

What we really need, I think is actual acts of Journalism.

[hootinholler]

42. Well maybe, maybe not.

At least they won't be just making shit up like they can with our current opinion pieces.

I agree we need actual journalism, some actual integrity would be nice too, we also desperately need diversity in the media.

You do have a point, but editorializing by omission happens today alongside the poo flinging by passing opinion as fact.

-Hoot

[Recursion]

36. It drives me insane that all these 24-hour channels can pay to keep talking heads on screen...

...blabbing about whatever vapid nonsense careens through their head, but can't bother to, say, send a reporter and cameraman to Haiti to look at NGOs' responses to the cholera epidemic.

End talking heads.

[upi402]

37. and close foreign correspondents down due to cost

BS
Keep the plebes provincial and distracted

[Sirveri]

40. Won't pull ad revenue, thus won't gain traction, thus will die a quick death.

Editorials and opinion segments gain viewers, and thus ad revenue, more than straight news, the corporations know this and follow the money.

[Bandit]

41. I was told a story in fourth grade about "just the facts news"

The Russians and Americans were in a car race. they were the only two racing. The Americans won the race. The Russian headlines the next day read Russians come in second while Americans come in next to last...Completely true statement

[JuniperLea]

43. That's very similar to...

The President walks across the Potomac; the President shows no sign of being able to swim!