What is "THE JOB" of the media?

[240 is Back]

Their original job, is to report only the FACTS and let the viewer decide what to think.

Media and Government in bed, historically not awesome. /Robert Downey Jr.

I'm trying to figure out WHEN this was the original job, and when it changed.  My pessimistic theory is that it has always been talked about, and always been corrupted.  But I could be wrong.

[Shockwave]

I'm trying to figure out WHEN this was the original job, and when it changed.  My pessimistic theory is that it has always been talked about, and always been corrupted.  But I could be wrong.

You're correct for the most part, but there where so many other outlets that could, and would, correct them. They kept each other mostly honest. Note - I am speaking of its intended purpose IN THIS COUNTRY.

[whork]

Correct. Just as warriors followed codes for centuries on the honor system, and being held accountable by each other. It was called PRIDE.

And it isn't and undefined code - the code was that the media wasn't supposed to take sides - they were supposed to report FACTS without being biased, and let the readers make up their mind.

This +1

[quadzilla456]

To make money for their shareholders, of course. Not to keep it real, not to be fair and balanced, not to maintain any level of 'journalistic integrity'.

How do they make more money by not reporting black on white crime and painting whites as criminals / racists.

Their systematic tear down of whiteness will in the long run have a negative effect on the wealth of these media outlets. So why are they pursuing this strategy if it is just about dollars?

[GigantorX]

To report the news.

To keep those in power, and those that have authority, honest.

[doison]

I'm trying to figure out WHEN this was the original job, and when it changed.  My pessimistic theory is that it has always been talked about, and always been corrupted.  But I could be wrong.

When cable news came out and the nation stopped receiving its news one man anchoring the "national" nightly news, just like he has since your parents were your age.  

When it's up to Walter Cronkite to report the news to everyone, he has to uphold "journalistic integrity" so that there isn't a personal backlash against him...forcing the network to find a replacement or lose half their ad revenue and viewers.

When nearly every person in the country gets their news from a single source, his integrity as a PERSON is on the line to report the news without bias.  When he paints a biased picture, it reflects poorly on him. He becomes a person who lied to the nation for his own selfish agenda.

When cable news came out and people stopped getting their news from a single guy that they grew up watching every night, all that changed.  When cable news lies, it isn't a "person" who's betraying you for a selfish agenda, it's some nameless corporate conglomerate feeding you garbage...which you expect from faceless business entities.  And since news really happened, some version of it must be the truth...so when that agenda falls in line with YOUR personal agenda...then it's the "true" version of news.  The ones telling lies are those hacks at the OTHER news network.

When you're no longer responsible for giving impartial information to EVERYONE, you are suddenly responsible for getting ANYONE to come to you for their news.  
If you remain impartial, you become boring...and people leave your broadcast for the one that gives them the news the way they want to hear it.  



When Ron Burgundy was replaced by false youtube video preview screen cap promises of anchorwomen holding open their blouses...journalistic integrity went bye-bye.
 

[Jack T. Cross]

at this stage, i would swear that some meaning could be found, to show what's said to attract the most money for media, also provides a vehicle toward a much nastier goal.

we know that "left" and "right" can each lead to fascism.  so it seems that by playing two such "sides" in full opposition mode, it creates a powerful ratcheting effect, that causes each side to direct itself toward its realization of fascism, ultimately depositing the unwitting citizens from each "side" into a complete and total state of fascism (which everyone should know becomes quite difficult to leave once it is achieved).

i would strongly suggest that the staggering list of laws passed in the last 11 years, which are absolutely fascist in every way, are not coincidental to a medium that encourages such full opposition mode.

quite frankly, i'd say we are being played as fools.

[a_ahmed]

[240 is Back]

When cable news came out and the nation stopped receiving its news one man anchoring the "national" nightly news, just like he has since your parents were your age. 

When it's up to Walter Cronkite to report the news to everyone, he has to uphold "journalistic integrity" so that there isn't a personal backlash against him...forcing the network to find a replacement or lose half their ad revenue and viewers.

When nearly every person in the country gets their news from a single source, his integrity as a PERSON is on the line to report the news without bias.  When he paints a biased picture, it reflects poorly on him. He becomes a person who lied to the nation for his own selfish agenda.

When cable news came out and people stopped getting their news from a single guy that they grew up watching every night, all that changed.  When cable news lies, it isn't a "person" who's betraying you for a selfish agenda, it's some nameless corporate conglomerate feeding you garbage...which you expect from faceless business entities.  And since news really happened, some version of it must be the truth...so when that agenda falls in line with YOUR personal agenda...then it's the "true" version of news.  The ones telling lies are those hacks at the OTHER news network.

When you're no longer responsible for giving impartial information to EVERYONE, you are suddenly responsible for getting ANYONE to come to you for their news. 
If you remain impartial, you become boring...and people leave your broadcast for the one that gives them the news the way they want to hear it. 



When Ron Burgundy was replaced by false youtube video preview screen cap promises of anchorwomen holding open their blouses...journalistic integrity went bye-bye.
 

great analysis, thanks.   ya make good points.

[Shockwave]

at this stage, i would swear that some meaning could be found, to show what's said to attract the most money for media, also provides a vehicle toward a much nastier goal.

we know that "left" and "right" can each lead to fascism.  so it seems that by playing two such "sides" in full opposition mode, it creates a powerful ratcheting effect, that causes each side to direct itself toward its realization of fascism, ultimately depositing the unwitting citizens from each "side" into a complete and total state of fascism (which everyone should know becomes quite difficult to leave once it is achieved).

i would strongly suggest that the staggering list of laws passed in the last 11 years, which are absolutely fascist in every way, are not coincidental to a medium that encourages such full opposition mode.

quite frankly, i'd say we are being played as fools.

Boom.

[Jack T. Cross]

Boom.

thanks, bro.  i knew that you'd be someone who "gets" it.

[Jack T. Cross]

so...this "money above all else" quest, that we are supposed to happily shrug off as the american way, despite the fact we are talking about news-reporting of all things, seems to provide quite a convenient side mechanism for elitism/fascism.  what a coincidence.

thanks for jogging my brain, 240.

[Kazan]

at this stage, i would swear that some meaning could be found, to show what's said to attract the most money for media, also provides a vehicle toward a much nastier goal.

we know that "left" and "right" can each lead to fascism.  so it seems that by playing two such "sides" in full opposition mode, it creates a powerful ratcheting effect, that causes each side to direct itself toward its realization of fascism, ultimately depositing the unwitting citizens from each "side" into a complete and total state of fascism (which everyone should know becomes quite difficult to leave once it is achieved).

i would strongly suggest that the staggering list of laws passed in the last 11 years, which are absolutely fascist in every way, are not coincidental to a medium that encourages such full opposition mode.

quite frankly, i'd say we are being played as fools.

Joseph Goebbels is laughing his ass off in hell

[Shockwave]

Joseph Goebbels is laughing his ass off in hell

Goddamn Nazi's.

[a_ahmed]