Post: Post Reply: Agree on all 100%. In general, mass media promote unreality, even the so-called "news" media. by LateForLunch

Original Message: Agree on all 100%. In general, mass media promote unreality, even the so-called "news" media.
Media axiom - the lede (lead) story is what news reporters open with (in writing/broadcasting) to grab consumer attention. "If it bleeds, it ledes* (leads)." News reporters focus on the most-dramatic, extreme, shocking stories available as this is an enticement to attract viewers. PT Barnum once said carnival (circus) entertainment (in order to extract money from "marks") was a matter of giving them a show that had one or more of only five elements - sex, money, power, violence/death or freak show". Interesting how that also translates into modern broadcast journalism in many cases. In regard to political propaganda (advocacy journalism), they employ an old trial lawyer's trick - "when the narrative of reality is against you, ignore it and offer an alternative reality". It works a surprisingly-high percentage of the time. People can be very credulous especially when clever people are throwing selective "facts" at them. * The words "lede" and "lead" are both pronounced "leed". Journalists used to change the spelling for internal purposes because of the use of lead (depleted uranium metal) borders on linotype printing machines. To avoid confusion, they changed it to "lede" for print communication. It caught on as vernacular with journalists. Linotype machines ended with the invention of industrial copiers/printers using optical toner/ink-jets, so the spelling is no longer needed, but still in use.

Original Message: Agree on all 100%. In general, mass media promote unreality, even the so-called "news" media.

Media axiom - the lede (lead) story is what news reporters open with (in writing/broadcasting) to grab consumer attention. "If it bleeds, it ledes* (leads)." News reporters focus on the most-dramatic, extreme, shocking stories available as this is an enticement to attract viewers.

PT Barnum once said carnival (circus) entertainment (in order to extract money from "marks") was a matter of giving them a show that had one or more of only five elements - sex, money, power, violence/death or freak show". Interesting how that also translates into modern broadcast journalism in many cases.

In regard to political propaganda (advocacy journalism), they employ an old trial lawyer's trick - "when the narrative of reality is against you, ignore it and offer an alternative reality". It works a surprisingly-high percentage of the time. People can be very credulous especially when clever people are throwing selective "facts" at them.

* The words "lede" and "lead" are both pronounced "leed". Journalists used to change the spelling for internal purposes because of the use of lead (depleted uranium metal) borders on linotype printing machines. To avoid confusion, they changed it to "lede" for print communication. It caught on as vernacular with journalists. Linotype machines ended with the invention of industrial copiers/printers using optical toner/ink-jets, so the spelling is no longer needed, but still in use.

Back Post Reply

Name
  Register

Password

E-Mail

Topic

Reply options Notify original author     Private reply   All replies are private

M
E
S
S
A
G
E
HTML tags allowed in message body. Browser view     Display HTML as text.

Link URL

Link Title

Image URL