{"id":70539,"date":"2017-02-25T10:57:16","date_gmt":"2017-02-25T15:57:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/?p=70539"},"modified":"2017-02-25T10:57:16","modified_gmt":"2017-02-25T15:57:16","slug":"just-the-facts-please","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/?p=70539","title":{"rendered":"Just the Facts Please"},"content":{"rendered":"

(From deep out of the Bunker Archive – understanding fake news 2004)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t believe anything you hear and only about half of what you actually see.<\/em> \u2013 My Dad (and other wise people)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wise man, my Dad.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been doing some more research.\u00a0 I know.\u00a0 Stop yawning.\u00a0 I intended to provide you with an extensive list of examples to support my argument but I won\u2019t.\u00a0 Instead, I\u2019ll equip you with what\u2019s needed to do your own brain exercise.\u00a0 Besides, those of you inclined to agree with me will do so without references.\u00a0 Those of you who aren\u2019t so inclined have probably already switched the channel.\u00a0 But, wait\u2026\u00a0 You may want to stick around for a few minutes.\u00a0 If you do, I promise to give you something useful that\u2019ll help you to dissect before digesting that which you hear and see each day.<\/p>\n

I hauled out my dictionary.\u00a0 I needed us to understand the actual definitions for propaganda and journalism.\u00a0 Since we are busy rewriting definitions these days, I thought this was important for the discussion.<\/p>\n

Propaganda<\/strong> – ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause.\u00a0 <\/em>Journalism –<\/strong>writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In our world of 24\/7, instant worldwide news coverage, we have a problem separating propaganda from journalism. Is propaganda too harsh a word for you?\u00a0 Hey, I didn\u2019t write the definition for it, but if it makes it a little more palatable for you, we\u2019ll discuss it as the difference between an opinion commentary and a newscast presentation of events or facts without interpretation.\u00a0 Just remember what Willie Shakespeare said, \u201cYou can call manure a rose if you want to, but it\u2019ll still stink\u2026\u201d or something like that.<\/p>\n

I read and listen to quite a bit of news and listen to many of the popular radio and television commentators.\u00a0 If I want the liberal slant to the actual news, I watch CNN, listen to NPR (your tax dollars at work) or one of the networks \u2013 ABC, NBC or CBS.\u00a0 If I want the conservative perspective, I\u2019ll tune in to Fox.\u00a0 Although considered by most as conservative, the actual Fox newscasts (not the Fox talk shows) provide, in my opinion, more facts without interpretation than do the others.\u00a0 But, that\u2019s a judgment you can make for yourself once armed with my rules for news dissection.\u00a0 When it comes to listening to commentators, I prefer the conservative perspective.\u00a0 I listen to the liberal commentators too.\u00a0 I like to hear both sides of the debate, but I do not like the extreme position on either the left or the right.\u00a0 Considering both helps round out my perspective.\u00a0 However, I\u2019d as soon gouge my eye out with a stick as to listen to some of them.\u00a0 James Carvel and Pat Buchanan come to mind.<\/p>\n

Last year in April, I was out of the country for a while.\u00a0 The only English speaking newscasts that I could get were CNN International and the BBC.\u00a0 Al Jazeera has nothing over these guys.\u00a0 Listening to what passed for actual news was interesting, but frightening.\u00a0 The BBC for example, could always produce one American opposed to the war and present them as the representative voice for all Americans.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t one single success to report according to their spin and America was clearly the bad guy bully.\u00a0 Their opposition to America was obvious in how they presented (slanted) the news for world consumption.\u00a0 Following two weeks of that, I too was concerned about how we were doing.\u00a0\u00a0 When I returned home, I was much more observant of what was presented to me as news by alleged newscasters.\u00a0 What I discovered is that we have our own little BBCs and CNN Internationals filling America\u2019s airwaves.\u00a0 To get at the real news, I started mining the facts for myself.\u00a0 In doing so, I developed three simple rules that have helped me see the world and the news, a little more clearly.\u00a0 Here are my rules.\u00a0 Feel free to use them, they\u2019re free and they work.<\/p>\n