Maybe we need to put up some signs, like: "I am a corporate journalist, kick me."
Back to Main
June 3, 2005
Memory Loss
Comments
“US media covers up American war crimes” I would like to see the American media,FOX, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post and the LA Times up against the wall (in a firing squad?) just like the three held guilty of genocide in the Rwanda “Media Trial”.
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jun 3 2005 23:30 utc | 2
Why Joseph Palmer there’s no money it in? The fame n glory n bucks come from reprinting press releases and if someone accuses you of being unbalanced you just publish a release from the ‘other side’. There’s always sides in modern journalism; left n right, black n white, wrong n right.
Who knows if you get good enough at reprinting lies maybe you’ll get to the stage where you can write the lies yourself and then you’ll be at the main chance saloon. Still we shouldn’t be too hard after all these guys are just doing what everyone else does looking after themselves. People do eventually get turned off by it, Murdoch’s first big tabloid the english “Sun” has completely lost it’s ability to sell anything that stimulates above waist level. Eventually most people do try and validate what they get from mass media with their peers and Fox TV et al is losing credibility. The best we can do is not give them the kudos of taking them seriously. Laugh at the mass media. It’s a joke and people will listen to that much more easily than earnest diatribes on what really happened.
Posted by: Debs is dead | Jun 3 2005 23:42 utc | 3
“Rude [but funny] awakening
from the slumber of consumption” and
“”The two filmmakers [who created Czech Dream], Filip Remunda and Vit Klusak, explore what they call ‘the manipulative powers of consumerism’ by creating an ad campaign for a hypermarket that doesn’t actually exist.”
“The two filmmakers [who created Czech Dream], Filip Remunda and Vit Klusak, explore what they call ‘the manipulative powers of consumerism’ by creating an ad campaign for a hypermarket that doesn’t actually exist.
“In a climactic scene, we see 4,000 people turn up for the store opening in a meadow on the outskirts of Prague. The crowd run to claim the bargains they have been promised, only to discover that behind the hoarding labelled ‘Czech Dream – the Hypermarket for a better life!’ there is just an empty field.
“The filmmakers claim that what might seem a heartless prank is in fact an exposé of the workings of consumerism.
“The project began with a £22,000 grant from the Czech government and a co-production deal from Czech TV. The resulting documentary tracks Remunda and Klusak as they solicit the help of a renowned advertising agency for free, accept Hugo Boss suits for nothing, and enjoy a complimentary photo session. Remunda makes the point that the firms involved were complicit in the deception.
“‘Even though we intended to offer a product that did not exist, create a misleading ad campaign, betray thousands of people and produce an almost inhuman scandal, the companies still wanted to be involved — just as long as they were guaranteed media coverage.’
“‘Army experts on crowd behaviour had warned us that the crowd would go crazy,’ admits Remunda. ‘But as it turned out, nothing happened. There were even people who came to thank us, saying that for the first time in a long while they spent their Saturday in a field instead of among supermarket shelves.'”
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jun 3 2005 23:45 utc | 4
What has scared me the most in my interactions with journalists is that even when you feed them digested press releases (i.e. that they can use as such without even editing them), they still manage to get some stuff wrong. It’s actually quite impressive.
Of course, there are some good journalists and good stories, but when you know a topic well, you almost always see the limitations or biases, and you can’t help wondering what errors or biases you’re missing in topics you know less well.
So, go read several independent stories on the same topic to get a good idea of the facts, and then make your opinion. (Actually, reading French language AND English language newspapers is a pretty good way to get a lot of perspective…)
Posted by: Jérôme | Jun 4 2005 20:44 utc | 5
with journalists, that has also been my experience. & when you read either french english & italian journals as is possible today – the absence of comprehension or analysis is compelling in its velocity
in my generation – the comrades became lawyers, doctors & journalist. & while many did honour to the first two professions. the ones that becaem journalist – not only did not honour what was left to honour in the metier but also brought dishonour to themselves & their language
Posted by: remembereringgiap | Jun 4 2005 21:01 utc | 6