red, I don't think they are saying all bad news on republicans is spin. I think they are saying it is covered more and scrutinized more than the mistakes and bad news of the democrats. Again, I think spin goes both ways and you have to know this to be objective no matter who you choose to watch or read etc. Take my opinoin fwiw... not mutch :hihi:
They pick and choose, but they do not invent the news, as has been suggested, and they do not ignore a story for political reasons. I think they report based upon what can get them the biggest market share. They are a business, after all. What they want is a story that people will watch and remember. Monica Lewinski is a story, the Iraq debacle is a story and so is a black president. The Obama honeymoon won't last long with the problems facing this administration. His first crisis is going to be a story and the media will be all over it. Plenty of people, but not most. Most people are fairly well-informed and entirely capable of making their own decisions. I think those folks who just ape what Rush Limbaugh believes or what Al Franken believes are a minority and are well-spread throughout the political spectrum.
I didn't mean to suggest that anyone invents the things that they report. Simply that they may or may not report something, like you said, based on what they think will please the viewers. Fair enough. I can go along with that.
I would not put too much stock in all of this stuff. Palin's future role in the Republican party will be significant. She will be one of those leaders who will help get the party moving back in the right direction. Don't make the mistake of underestimating her. She is not the dummy this post suggests she is.
Unfortunately, most people are sheep. Try doing some research on impression management, social learning theory, cultivation theory, technological determinism, etc. All of which describe how sheep-like we really are, continuously follow the herd (of the media in many cases). People are too lazy to actually investigate certain things for themselves, and in turn, look to a glowing box, whether it be a TV set, a computer monitor, or the glowing LED of a radio deck, as if it were the the end all of end alls. Wrong. The media as a whole is indeed a propaganda machine full of personal opinion and subjective analysis. Understand that TV is only one medium, whereas all mediums (TV, print, radio, internet, etc) together make the the media. TV, print and internet publications are well known to be leftist, while radio, especially talk radio, is well known as being more conservative. It's foolish to say that the media just report facts. No one said that all negative information reported about Republicans is a "media lie."
Sociology attempts to understand, but it usually misses by a mile. "Even at its most perceptive, sociology deals in abstractions" -- Richard Russo Some people, not most people. I don't think you can prove this. It's not wrong. The media doesn't invent news. Not exactly. Hollywood movies are liberal and talk radio is conservative. Political books are conservative. But TV and newspapers are a mixed bag, as is the Internet.
OMG SF just had a moment of correct rationale. Now if he could just accept the fact that he is also a sheep...
What? An immense amount of research has definitely given insight into what we are influenced by. We as a people are highly, highly influenced. This cannot simply be dismissed based on a single quote. So memogate wasn't invented? What about the Reuter's photo fraud? Clinton looting the White House before he left? They DO invent "facts." Also, a lot of times, it's not what's said but what isn't said. Political books may be mostly conservative, but not by a wide margin. The big, most popular newspapers, however, are very liberal. TV is very liberal too, but I've seen you defend that before. Facebook and MySpace are all pro Obama and left leaning.
