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Are Journalists the reason why Americans are so ill-informed?
There are so many people on YA! who have strong (but wrong) opinions about the facts surrounding any number of circumstances. I always thought is was because they just heard the 30-second media sound bites on TV.
But, Richard Stengel, the managing editor of Time Magazine hit the nail on the head in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on April 17. He stated:
“I think since I’ve been back at the magazine, I have felt that one of the things that’s needed in journalism is that you have to have a point of view about things,” Stengel said. “You can’t always just say ‘on the one hand, on the other’ and you decide. People trust us to make decisions. We’re experts in what we do. So I thought, you know what, if we really feel strongly about something let's just say so.”
So, according to Stengel, media journalists are experts at reporting their opinions, which seem to be more important than the facts. Consumers of this information take these opinions and run with them as facts.
6 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
"A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring, it is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." ~ James Madison, Aug. 4, 1822
The media is not red or blue but green, the color of money. Most Americans get their news from the nightly TV reports and these broadcasts are required to make money for their parent corporation.
The original idea of the self-government is that the people are informed about their government and the current events. For example, if prior to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the people of USA knew that Iraq had been inspected and had no WMD then perhaps, the USA would have avoided the tragedy of Iraq! It is the solemn collective responsibility of the media to inform the people of the USA so that decisions are based on facts.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Richard Stengel is an elitist idiot. I don't care what HIS opinion is. I want to know the whole story and I'LL form MY own opinion. I'M the expert at that, not some journalist.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Media Manipulators, are the ruination of the American sense
of reality. The kool aid crowd grew up on tv, and sound bites.
Thats all they know. To have to look at two different opinions
on one subject bores and confuses them. They only have
the 30 second mentality, Its what they first hear , and or
see, that stays in the forefront of there thought. They are so
engrained in this format.. they are not capable of any other
input or thought process.. We have raised a generation of
Sheep.
- 1 decade ago
Yes LOL - we can't let journalists teach our kids - by placing them in front of the TV. For starters, the liberal journalists want to indoctrinate everyone into their left-wing views
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- waisonlineLv 51 decade ago
no, americans are so ill-informed because they choose to be.
its not hard these days to get on the net, or watch BBC, al jazeirra or some other non-american news channel.
americans have never really looked beyond their own borders much, so its nothing new.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
No; it's a conspiracy between the forces of religion and economic elites to dumb down the masses. Ignorant or voluntarily stupid people are easier to control and exploit.
