Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Is The Economist Always Wrong?

economist.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 189 posts

Re: Is The Economist Always Wrong?

#31

Post by CursedSilicon »

Mistletoe wrote: post #27
claw-el wrote: post #8

The tricky thing about predictions made by public entity or persona is that, the fact that they are making public predictions creates a major influence on the outcome itself. People react to predictions made by them.

I don’t think The Economist has that kind of power. More likely that when they make covers like these every normie feels that way and it’s going the other way soon, as it has exhausted every buyer or seller and it has reached the ends of your earth and your Mom and Dad even feel that way. https://www.readtrung.com/p/the-economist-cover-curse-explai...

Sorry, but

...Normie?

What does that even mean in this context

Re: Is The Economist Always Wrong?

#32

Post by junkaccount »

Mistletoe wrote: post #27
claw-el wrote: post #8

The tricky thing about predictions made by public entity or persona is that, the fact that they are making public predictions creates a major influence on the outcome itself. People react to predictions made by them.

I don’t think The Economist has that kind of power. More likely that when they make covers like these every normie feels that way and it’s going the other way soon, as it has exhausted every buyer or seller and it has reached the ends of your earth and your Mom and Dad even feel that way. https://www.readtrung.com/p/the-economist-cover-curse-explai...

It does not by itself but it is often just siding with a narrative that lot of other media houses and political parties are supporting as well.

Re: Is The Economist Always Wrong?

#33

Post by MarkusQ »

tedmiston wrote: post #17

> Betteridge's law of headlines is an adage that states: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no." It is based on the assumption that if the publishers were confident that the answer was yes, they would have presented it as an assertion; by presenting it as a question, they are not accountable for whether it is correct or not. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headl…

Which makes the headline quite clever in this case, since people will assume that means they aren't wrong, when in fact it means they aren't _always_ wrong.

Re: Is The Economist Always Wrong?

#34

Post by m348e912 »

Here is a mirror of the article without a paywall.

https://archive.is/FziAy

The Economist is partly owned by the Rothschild dynasty and was chaired by Evelyn de Rothschild for 17 years, so I've always just assumed it is going to tell you whatever would favor the global elite banking class.

Re: Is The Economist Always Wrong?

#35

Post by allthetime »

CursedSilicon wrote: post #31
Mistletoe wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think The Economist has that kind of power. More likely that when they make covers like these every normie feels that way and it’s going the other way soon, as it has exhausted every buyer or seller and it has reached the ends of your earth and your Mom and Dad even feel that way. https://www.readtrung.com/p/the-economist-cover-curse-explai...

Sorry, but ...Normie? What does that even mean in this context

Someone without a deeper understanding of markets who is just reacting superficially to news, headlines, mainstream information etc.

Re: Is The Economist Always Wrong?

#37

Post by Spooky23 »

claw-el wrote: post #8

The tricky thing about predictions made by public entity or persona is that, the fact that they are making public predictions creates a major influence on the outcome itself. People react to predictions made by them.

The thing with the Economist is that they have a style that’s like an erudite version of the old Time magazine — that is stories written to say what the editors want. Except the economist is way more dogmatic.

I used to read it regularly. I can’t imagine anyone looking to them for predictions, as even a casual reader could probably outline the magazine’s views on most any topic. Let me skim 4-5 recent issues, and I could probably replicate anything they would predict with like 85% accuracy!

I will say that my favorite part of the magazine was the wacky ads for big shots working for African countries, various UN things, NGOs, etc.

Re: Is The Economist Always Wrong?

#38

Post by lalitium »

left-struck wrote: post #11
lalitium wrote: post #6

Please don't put anything with the paywall here.

Sorry, who are you exactly to give people orders?

If please helps, happy to add it. In fact I added it.

When you see the title, you are excited to read, then you're hit with a paywall. Such a bummer.

Re: Is The Economist Always Wrong?

#39

Post by bryanrasmussen »

tedmiston wrote: post #17

> Betteridge's law of headlines is an adage that states: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no." It is based on the assumption that if the publishers were confident that the answer was yes, they would have presented it as an assertion; by presenting it as a question, they are not accountable for whether it is correct or not. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headl…

https://medium.com/luminasticity/does-betteridges-law-still-...

It seems it may also be used for really embarrassing things that will make powerful people mad if you just state them outright so it is necessary to state it as a question when you know the answer is yes.

Of course any yes or no question can be answered "no" but Betteridge, as we know, means a factually correct answer, and so there are these edge cases where the question mark is used for slightly different reasons than the law assumes and can be answered "yes".

Post reply on HN