3 ms·

What golden age? The masses always got the emotionally charged slop. The fallacy is thinking there was a point where they somehow didn’t. The incentives were in

What golden age? The masses always got the emotionally charged slop. The fallacy is thinking there was a point where they somehow didn’t. The incentives were in fact never aligned for that. Slop is the business.

eesmith 2y ago
Back when we were on ARPANET, when using the network for business like that could lead to direct reprimands. Back before the start of the Eternal September. Back before there were masses.
christophilus 2y ago
“To be completely cured of newspapers, spend a year reading the previous week’s newspapers.” Nasim Taleb said that in 2010, and you can find similar sentiments running back a long time. Sensationalism has been the name of the game all along.
- microtherion 2y ago
  Or Bertolt Brecht, first half of the 20th century: "I am a great opponent of newspapers," said Mr. Muddle. "I don't want any newspapers." Mr. Keuner said, "I am a greater opponent of newspapers: I want different newspapers."
- spacecadet 2y ago
  Its called manufacturing consent...
  - throawayonthe 2y ago
    [dead]
mc32 2y ago
Someone from the so called msm complained out loud recently about social media and how they the so called msm used to control information but are subverted by social media. They came to the conclusion we need the government to pass laws to control information. I don’t know if they are naive, stupid or genuinely are saddened by their loss of control.
- Spooky23 2y ago
  The words you’re repeating belie the problem. Journalism was more of a profession, there were editorial best practices and more factual accuracy. TV media was a loss leader. Social media is a dick measuring contest. Popularity correlates with volume, so the incentive is to shout whatever will get a reaction. So low-information consumers are spinning about how the government is both completely incompetent, yet capable of using some magic to create hurricanes for some reason. That’s a feature of social media.
  - mc32 2y ago
    Perhaps... to some degree they stuck to facts, but they chose what to talk about and what facts to bring up, but let's say they were even handed... They are not today and they compete with your homebound keyboard warrior when it comes to making stuff up, except they have the imprimatur of being the legacy media and people give them unearned gravitas.

eesmith 2y ago

Back when we were on ARPANET, when using the network for business like that could lead to direct reprimands. Back before the start of the Eternal September. Back before there were masses.

christophilus 2y ago

“To be completely cured of newspapers, spend a year reading the previous week’s newspapers.” Nasim Taleb said that in 2010, and you can find similar sentiments running back a long time. Sensationalism has been the name of the game all along.

microtherion 2y ago
Or Bertolt Brecht, first half of the 20th century: "I am a great opponent of newspapers," said Mr. Muddle. "I don't want any newspapers." Mr. Keuner said, "I am a greater opponent of newspapers: I want different newspapers."
spacecadet 2y ago
Its called manufacturing consent...
- throawayonthe 2y ago
  [dead]

mc32 2y ago

Someone from the so called msm complained out loud recently about social media and how they the so called msm used to control information but are subverted by social media. They came to the conclusion we need the government to pass laws to control information. I don’t know if they are naive, stupid or genuinely are saddened by their loss of control.

Spooky23 2y ago
The words you’re repeating belie the problem. Journalism was more of a profession, there were editorial best practices and more factual accuracy. TV media was a loss leader. Social media is a dick measuring contest. Popularity correlates with volume, so the incentive is to shout whatever will get a reaction. So low-information consumers are spinning about how the government is both completely incompetent, yet capable of using some magic to create hurricanes for some reason. That’s a feature of social media.
- mc32 2y ago
  Perhaps... to some degree they stuck to facts, but they chose what to talk about and what facts to bring up, but let's say they were even handed... They are not today and they compete with your homebound keyboard warrior when it comes to making stuff up, except they have the imprimatur of being the legacy media and people give them unearned gravitas.