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The Bullshit

walterkirn.substack.com

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Re: The Bullshit

#161

Post by denton-scratch »

p_j_w wrote: post #95
teflodollar wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought PBS and NPR were pretty good. What am I missing?

Yeah, not sure what that guy's on about. PBS, NPR, and other not for profit news orgs like BBC aren't perfect, but then what is? If I had to choose a single news source to try to stay informed, I'd take any one of those three over any of their for-profit competition.

Don't mistake the BBC for a "not-for-profit". BBC Worldwide is a commmercial operation. The BBC has large shares in various commercial TV operations.

The only parts of the BBC that are arguably not-for-profit are iPlayer, and domestic TV and Radio; and the BBC World Service. These are paid for by a controversial hypothecated tax, controlled by the government of the day; as a consequence, the Beeb is fairly consistently pro the government of the day, and anti the official opposition (they can see which side their bread is buttered on).

[Edit] The World Service is paid for out of general taxation, specifically the Foreign Office budget. It's not paid for out of the Licence Fee.

Re: The Bullshit

#162

Post by roenxi »

coldtea wrote: post #133
roenxi wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In response to something you didn't actually say - news is a classic example of when a free market may be bad, but all the alternatives people tried were much worse! And on what you did say - total agreement. The news has always been terrible. The internet has brought the cost of broadcasting so low actual honest or expert opinions and can make it out as well as the orthodoxies of people who can afford media companie…

> news is a classic example of when a free market may be bad, but all the alternatives people tried were much worse! Were they? News co-ops has historically been quite good.

News co-ops are part of the free market. If you want to site successful non-free-market news organisation there are things like the BBC. Which is respectable, and really quite a wonderful organisation if the propaganda is favourable to your cause.

Re: The Bullshit

#163

Post by denton-scratch »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #20
brundolf wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As with any field in a capitalist society, good things can only really come from those who care more about what they're working on than about any associated profit-motive. I do think that many journalists in the past operated this way. They would chase a story not because it was profitable, but because it was important. Not all of them, maybe not even most, but many. Nobody goes into journalism for the huge paychecks…

> it seems to me like there's been a shift across all sectors (not just journalism) away from professional integrity It starts with the meaning of "professional". I know of two opposite ones: 1. "Professional" as in doing high quality work, no corner cutting, having respect for the problem and the customer. 2. "Professional" as in putting business first, with the implication that any possible corner will be cut, any…

3. "Professional" as in it's your job, and you're being paid to do it.

4. "Professional", as in you work within a profession, such as law or accounting, and are an accredited, paid-up member of the appropriate professional body.

I'll buy your (1), as in "professional paint job", but your (2) isn't a kind of professional; that's just race-to-the-bottom commercialism.

Re: The Bullshit

#164

Post by Chris2048 »

verygoodname wrote: post #120
tomp wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My university educated in laws in the UK are doubting the outcome of elections in the US. Democracy is like science. If you don’t constantly doubt at least a little bit and check the outcome continuously, but instead just trust blindly, you’re doing it wrong.

Ah, yes... the "if I put everything in doubt, even the most painfully obvious things, it makes me seem smart" crowd. Here's the thing, though: if one is basing their "doubts" on random brainfarts or propaganda pieces they saw on youtube or facebook and decided to trust blindly, they're probably also doing it wrong. Skepticism that is not accompanied by critical thinking, actual knowledge, intellectual honesty and a d…

Are you accusing tomp of being part of that crowd? Seems an uncharitable interpretation of their words.

Re: The Bullshit

#165

Post by Chris2048 »

MagicWishMonkey wrote: post #67
mistermann wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this from the article?

The author doesn't spell it out but he mentions that the idiot story about Hunter Biden's laptop was totally real and not Russia using Giuliani like a stooge and he implies that if you don't think covid was leaked from a lab you're an idiot. So yea, I don't doubt that this guy thinks facebook is being mean by not letting him spread conspiracy bullshit on their platform.

and how are conspiracy stories about Russia any more/less reasonable than conspiracy stories about deep (US) gov?

Re: The Bullshit

#166

Post by denton-scratch »

MisterBastahrd wrote: post #140
sellyme wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see why you think "I worked around a newsroom for 13 years" is a good rebuttal to the fairly trivial claim that most professionals chose said profession because they wanted to do it.

Well, maybe it's because he replied to ME and I made specific claims that he decided to doubt. Now maybe in this brave new world, some people don't consider actual lived experience to be worth a whole lot, but that's not my problem. The associate editor at the paper I did work for was making $13.50 an hour as of two years ago when I left. I know this because she overheard a conversation regarding the salary of my sub…

> when I was in the office to perform some server maintenance

So this work you did "around newsrooms" and "with journalists" was sysadmin work? Have I misread that?

Re: The Bullshit

#167

Post by Chris2048 »

sellyme wrote: post #106
unbroken wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You think there are "vast secret legions of domestic terrorists flashing one another the OK sign in shadowy parking lots behind Bass Pro Shops experiencing “temporary” inflation"? > alt-right Yeah. I think the woke are done. No one actually likes or agrees with them, it's all just preference falsification.

I don't think anyone is under the delusion that domestic terrorists in the US are being secretive any more. That ship somewhat sails after an attempted insurrection.

domestic terrorists, attempting insurrection, without a single fatality on the capitol side?

so, where was the violence?

Re: The Bullshit

#168

Post by denton-scratch »

tboyd47 wrote: post #5

This was a rare gem of well-measured prose here. I laughed out loud a couple of times and had to go back and read it over again. Thanks.

"Well-measured"? It's a rant. I don't entirely disagree with it, but "well-measured" isn't a term that I'd have chosen.

Re: The Bullshit

#169

Post by MagicWishMonkey »

Chris2048 wrote: post #167
sellyme wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think anyone is under the delusion that domestic terrorists in the US are being secretive any more. That ship somewhat sails after an attempted insurrection.

domestic terrorists , attempting insurrection , without a single fatality on the capitol side? so, where was the violence?

One of the cops died of injuries sustained on site, lets stop pretending this wasn't a violent confrontation. There were plenty of serious injuries.

Does this look like a peaceful protest, to you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=XajBh9oTdqI&feat...

Re: The Bullshit

#170

Post by MagicWishMonkey »

Chris2048 wrote: post #165
MagicWishMonkey wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author doesn't spell it out but he mentions that the idiot story about Hunter Biden's laptop was totally real and not Russia using Giuliani like a stooge and he implies that if you don't think covid was leaked from a lab you're an idiot. So yea, I don't doubt that this guy thinks facebook is being mean by not letting him spread conspiracy bullshit on their platform.

and how are conspiracy stories about Russia any more/less reasonable than conspiracy stories about deep (US) gov?

Is it really a conspiracy if US intelligence agencies say Russia has been stirring up shit?

The way right wingers bend over backwards to pretend that Russia doesn't have a long history of this sort of thing never ceases to amaze me.

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