Does it bother anyone else that we are seeing a bit more on CNN

[onecent]

and a few of the other cable news channels little "tips on how to keep safe in a terror attack"...That kind of stuff.

Ever since the London bombings, which mystify me, I have seen our media go banannas re: "being more observant, check things closely, canned goods are good, stock up on water....Jesus....do they know?
Or do they just want to keep scaring the hell out of us.

I'm so tired of the sheeple that don't have a clue.

[cry baby]

1. Don't forget duct tape!!!!!

[ironman202]

17. this from the same idiots that told me to hide under

my desk in case of a nuclear bomb

[KansDem]

18. I remember those days..."duck and cover"

I wondered the same thing...how would hiding under a desk protect me from an atomic bomb?

Then I surmised that it was a why of getting the kids out of the way so the administrators and teachers can get the hell out without tripping over them.

[notadmblnd]

2. they just want to keep trying to scare the hell out of us

nt

[LynzM]

3. Fear sells.

If you look at MSM news in general, there's a lot of 'things you need to be afraid of'... drugs, safety recalls, paranoia, etc. Outfoxed actually has a good bit about this. Basically, our news conditions people to be afraid and want 'help/instruction'. So, my hope is that it is- "people have it on their minds, so let's run with that", and not them having some kind of foreknowledge...

[Beaver Tail]

4. Duck and Cover?

[KurtNYC]

5. it is fear mongering

just the CNN version of those local news promos that say things like "something in your bedroom can kill you -- details at 11"

If they knew anything specific they might be more specific but the vagueries point to simple fear promotion.

[Tommymac]

26. Tonight on our local news it was Petting Zoos.

Oouuuu...Petting Zoo's are DANGEROUS!!!! Be scared!!!!

:wow: :scared:

[Billy Ruffian]

6. OTH,

here in hurricane/tornado/ice storm country, we keep a set of emergency supplies at the ready throughout the year. Plenty of water, food, lighting, fuel for cooking, fuel for heat, emergency and prescription medicines, and ready cash.

Our kit is pretty close to the American Red Cross recommendations.

[element23]

7. Don't forget

that people love to feel persecuted.


As they are they are driving to the country club in their H2.

[Alcibiades]

12. Not aimed at the country club set

... but at people like my mother, who retired early, and now lives in a trailer in the deep south. She gets up in the morning and heads for the recliner, where she watches cable news all day. She cannot leave the trailer now, because it's too dangerous--flying is too dangerous, driving is too dangerous, everything is too dangerous.

So long as they can keep us cooped up in our trailers, making runs to Wal-Mart every now and again for supplies, they have us effectively under control. Terrorism is just another thing to be afraid of.

[JDPriestly]

8. Security precautions are pretty strong in LA

and they are getting stronger every day. I support legitimate security measures. I just don't understand what Homeland Security thinks it is going to find in library records.

[w13rd0]

9. I'm far more fearful...

...of my electricity being shut off, being killed in a car accident, dying slowly of cancers due to the pollutants in our environment and products, etc. etc. etc.

"Be Ready? F'k that sh*t."

[samdogmom]

10. Oh, for crying out loud! The terrorists are US!

Bush, et. al., will release proper duck and cover techniques when the time is appropriate. In the meantime, go about your business. You are okay.

[julialnyc]

11. Allot of it is trying to make 24 hour news cycles interesting

I think sometimes the news is ideological (quite often), but they also have to kill so much time with the 24 hour news cycle. I just got back from my honeymoon in Jamaica and my whole family was frantically trying to get in touch with me after watching cnn......... hell, I was glued to cnn thinking we were about to get hit by a category 5 hurricane (they were saying category 5!).

We had a day that was a little stormy.... that was it! The Jamaicans told us to ignore cnn and watch local news that made an effort to keep calm and give real assessments.

[element23]

14. you would think

that with a whole 24 hours to work with they could broaden their scope beyond terrorism, celebrities and missing blond girls.

[faithnotgreed]

15. well you clearly do think element23~ so welcome to the fun that is du

and by thinking you have a leg up on many others who watch that stuff
do you have any aspirations for becoming a reporter or editor somewhere

[element23]

23. thank you, faithnotgreed

for your welcome.

No I am a humble technical writer/art historian.

I try hard to ignore the news networks but they are everywhere and like a car crash you just can't look away. ;)

[faithnotgreed]

28. apt description friend

well we are glad youre here no matter your vocation (well almost no matter...)

have fun
we think its going to be a wild ride coming up but im sure you have figured that out already

[julialnyc]

16. right????

They need to dramatize the THREE stories that are irrelevant to most of us 24/7 and leave the important stories as a whisper under their breath (if we're even lucky enough to get a whisper!)

[element23]

24. so true

I think it is just that they know people want fantasy more than reality so that's what they give them.

I guess the line between fantasy and reality has been getting blurred for some time now.

[julialnyc]

29. our news is more like reality tv

than journalism.

People watch the Laci Peterson and Natalie Holloway cases unfold like a drama (sad, but true) and don't have the patience or the interest to learn about the more complicated problems that effect them allot more,but don't come in such a cinematic (and I mean that in the sense of "beautiful girl goes missing"or "celebrity goes on trial") package for this voyeur obsessed audience.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Interesting ad on CNN stressing their "reliability" on this issue --

it said you could "rely" on CNN, the most "trusted" network, re. security matters. I assume they were contrasting themselves with Fox (don't watch, but I think they are the most alarmist). I stopped watching CNN for a long time, and I still get angry from time to time, but I find I can have it on some now, even without the mute button. I think maybe they've improved -- or are looking at Bush's poll numbers.

[damntexdem]

19. It doesn't bother me a bit.

I don't watch CNN or other cable news channels.

And I haven't heard it on Air America Radio.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cleita]

21. Nope.

I haven't watched CNN for almost ten months now.

[Booster]

22. All this talk is probably a result of Cheney notifying the military

that they should get ready to nuke Iran if the US is attacked; either he's trying to keep us all scared to death or else there has been "chatter" about Iran nuking us. Cheney is the worst thing that ever happened to our country.

[cynatnite]

25. My sister called and asked what I had bought after 9/11

I told her not a damn thing. I was not about to live my life in my house with plastic sheeting and duct tape. I was not going to live in such fear because it is so damn controlling and I refuse to be controlled.

It means 'they' won and when I say 'they', I'm referring not to just the terrorists who bombed us on that day, but bush and his minions. They did plenty enough of fear-mongering.

Plus, I told I doubted terrorists would be coming out to her farm out in the middle of nowhere Nebraska. :)

[seabeyond]

27. how about how many on this site condoning feeling up a 62 yr old

woman for the illusion of safety

i am f*in amazed how easy it is to get people fearful enough to stop all reasoning and allow the most ridiculous behavior because of a what if......

[SuperWonk]

30. Hmmmm...

CNN preying on people's fears? They wouldn't sink that low for the ratings, would they???
Ha!