For example, (since I live in the US now) the information we receive on the news can be lies right? Like I believe Saddam Hussein is a bad person and give a pat on the back to the US for catching the psycho, BUT I believe Saddam is a psycho because I watch the news and belive what the news tell me. How do I know if Saddam is actually a bad person? He could have been manipulated by the US government for all we know.
I ask this question because a friend of mine claims that the US government is doing far worse things than Saddam ever did. To which I disagreed and got into a huge fight with her about it. In the end out debate it basically came down to what do you believe? The news in your country or the news in other countries? Aside from being in these so called "secret meetings" and "confidential conferences" between countries how are we to really know that out country's government is doing the right thing? I don't want to be a blind follower but in actuality that is all I can be.
2006-09-25 08:58:37 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in News & Events ➔ Media & Journalism
The media used to serve as a check and balance to the power of the government - now there is a lot of advocacy in journalism, which serves as propoganda for the views of the owners of the media.
One way to get a little bit of balance is to listen to the news from various networks, including PBS, the BBC, and other international news sources.
Also, there are a number of alternate news sources:
http://www.accd.edu/pac/philosop/phil1301/alt-news.htm
Web bloggers are starting to play a larger role in balancing the mainstream media - one important story that the bloggers broke a month or so ago was the doctoring of photographs in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict by a Reuters photographer.
If you search for truth, you will find a lot of it.
2006-09-25 09:09:17 · answer #1 · answered by a_blue_grey_mist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to use your brain, homeboy! As a whole, the media doesn't lie to you, per se. But, when anybody is telling a story (or reporting the news) there will be bias. The less bias a news reporter has (or at least can contain and keep from influencing the story) the better the reporter. The main thing that keeps a sensational bent on the news is that root of all evil. Do people want to hear that your girl Britney Spears is happy with being married and with children or that she's about to kill her kids and that your Kevin is just a no-good husband? People don't mind hearing the former but they'll pay to hear the latter. Get it? People pay to hear a certain kind of news:bad. Good news doesn't sell. They also want it told a certain kind of way. So, remember that reporter in the beginning I was talking about. She might put a spin on a news story to make it sound a certain way so that it will sell and she can put food on her table. We the people perpetuate our own bad news and bad news telling with this cycle. Rest assured, however, that there are reporters that won't compromise their intergrity and will give you the news fact for fact, but try to understand their dilemma. Also, some of the people we get news from are not news people but very opinionated people (Rush Limbaugh, the dude on the 700 Club) and people tend to adopt their views (not saying that they are wrong all the time) and take it ALL as fact. With all that being said, Saddam was crazy and homocidal and if you really want to know then find you somebody that lived over there and get first-hand information. If you're skeptical, then you need to find out for yourself. I also don't think that America commits the same atrocities that he did but, in the messed-up world of global politics we might have financed somebody that did. GameGiver has spoken!
2006-09-25 10:23:14 · answer #2 · answered by GameGiver 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, that's a tough one. The way to tackle this is to read a wide variety of news from different sources and have a clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Every country will have their own slant on the news. So you need to get all the facts from all the parties involved. All the spin from all the sources will give you the full picture. You don't get to know it all quickly, you learn over time. read history from different perspectives also.
Lets take the palestinian and Israeli conflict. Learn the history of the conflict from different sources, especially the Arab sources, EU sources and Israeli Peace organizations. This one conflict is the most misunderstood.
Another good example would be, the recent over publicized "agreement" between the Pakistani Government and the Taliban in N. Waziristan border region. I read the news from the local Pakistani newspapers (dawn.com) and I read it every day to get the full story even from them. You get bits and pieces as the story develops. But the western media was completely wrong on all the details of the agreement. They were way off.
Anyway, over time you will be better equiped with knowledge, so when they tell you empty slogans like, "they hate our freedom" or "If you die you will get 70 virgins" you'd know what's what.
Hope that helps.
2006-09-25 09:24:03 · answer #3 · answered by Whatever 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Watch BBC News, they seem to know more about the worlds news than the US.
Or do the old fashioned thing, pick up a book by people that have lived there. Read about Saddam. Read the encyclopedia, go to the library, and read old newspaper clippings. and do some research, and than in the end form your own opinion. That is the only way to find out the real truth.
2006-09-25 09:06:39 · answer #4 · answered by jlyn1980 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can only be live half of what you see and not thing of what you read and that is on any subject but when it comes to Saddam you have to look at how things were be for we went in there to help the people, they were happy to see us at first and maybe they are glad Saddam is out but if they knew then what they know now I would bet they would go back to be for the u.s.a. came in to save them.and now will not leave.
2006-09-25 09:11:11 · answer #5 · answered by sandyjean 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You gather as much information as you can from as many reliable sources you can find.
You know in your heart the difference from right and wrong. Don't be afraid. Don't be a sheep. Just keep talking about what is going on wether the republicans like it or not.
2006-09-25 09:03:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your friend is right. The U.S.A. is the worst of the worst. We have been starting wars like the current one for the last 30 years. These wars have the soul purpose to weaken a countries infrastructure (i.e. electrical, sanitation, communication...) so that they stay technologically and economically poor.
If you really want to delve into how evil our government is though, you should watch some of the brilliant documentaries out there. Start with these
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5137581991288263801&q=Loose+Change
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4298137966377572665&q=waco
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1755692679103175934&q=waco:
If you want to know more, just email me.
2006-09-25 09:07:46 · answer #7 · answered by C P R 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Maybe Hitler was a good person really, but you have to just look at the evidence, and make a decision on the balance of probability.
2006-09-25 09:05:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take every thing with a grain of salt. A really big grain if you are hearing it from the media.
2006-09-25 09:05:08 · answer #9 · answered by Gentle Dragon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I never watch the news anymore. Too depressing. And you're right, you just never know if you're getting any truth or just all lies.
2006-09-25 09:01:02 · answer #10 · answered by Zebra4 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋