4 ms·

>> To some extent, this has already happened: Many news organizations, such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have placed their curated content

>> To some extent, this has already happened: Many news organizations, such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have placed their curated content behind paywalls. This was funny to me because the NYT is already highly biased. I consider them compromised on political topics, and a bit sensational on any number of headlines.

alecst 2y ago
How can someone tell if a newspaper is biased? What’s the test? Is it the eye test — as in, I can tell it when I see it — or something more?
- add-sub-mul-div 2y ago
  A demagogue tells you so and then either you believe it or you become suspicious that their manipulation of you is the actual danger.
  - lxgr 2y ago
    Then again: Should I trust a given medium just because somebody I don't trust tells me I shouldn't?
    - add-sub-mul-div 2y ago
      You're supposed to use a combination of your life experience and best judgment, which is as it always was. Extreme trust and extreme distrust are both irresponsible. Your responsibility is to remember that institutions are made up of flawed people just like yourself, and work towards improving them. You don't let someone manipulate your emotions to turn them into abstract enemies, tear them down, and replace them with nothing.
- Loughla 2y ago
  Spoiler; every newspaper and media source is biased. They have to be. Starting with what stories they run and don't run and ending with the specific word choice they make inside the articles. Critical thinking is the only thing you can use to spot bias. Compare and contrast different stories. Then make up your own mind. Media literacy and virtual l critical reasoning should be the bedrock of modern education, and it is not.
77pt77 2y ago
Political I don't know, but in terms of hard science the NYT has an abysmal track record.
- lxgr 2y ago
  One useful heuristic is to look at a newspaper's reporting in a domain you are deeply familiar with. If it misses the mark by a lot there, you could still take your chances with their remaining reporting under the assumption that that was an outlier and the rest will be much better – but I personally wouldn't.
  - 77pt77 2y ago
    One exampe: https://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/factoids/ny-times-admits-moon-flight-possible.htm https://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/factoids/ny-times-admits-m... > New York Times Retracts 1920 Article Saying Spaceflight is Impossible This is Newton's third law. It was known to work for centuries. They retracted but it was something like > Nerds... > Who can stand them?

alecst 2y ago

How can someone tell if a newspaper is biased? What’s the test? Is it the eye test — as in, I can tell it when I see it — or something more?

add-sub-mul-div 2y ago
A demagogue tells you so and then either you believe it or you become suspicious that their manipulation of you is the actual danger.
- lxgr 2y ago
  Then again: Should I trust a given medium just because somebody I don't trust tells me I shouldn't?
  - add-sub-mul-div 2y ago
    You're supposed to use a combination of your life experience and best judgment, which is as it always was. Extreme trust and extreme distrust are both irresponsible. Your responsibility is to remember that institutions are made up of flawed people just like yourself, and work towards improving them. You don't let someone manipulate your emotions to turn them into abstract enemies, tear them down, and replace them with nothing.
Loughla 2y ago
Spoiler; every newspaper and media source is biased. They have to be. Starting with what stories they run and don't run and ending with the specific word choice they make inside the articles. Critical thinking is the only thing you can use to spot bias. Compare and contrast different stories. Then make up your own mind. Media literacy and virtual l critical reasoning should be the bedrock of modern education, and it is not.

77pt77 2y ago

Political I don't know, but in terms of hard science the NYT has an abysmal track record.

lxgr 2y ago
One useful heuristic is to look at a newspaper's reporting in a domain you are deeply familiar with. If it misses the mark by a lot there, you could still take your chances with their remaining reporting under the assumption that that was an outlier and the rest will be much better – but I personally wouldn't.
- 77pt77 2y ago
  One exampe: https://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/factoids/ny-times-admits-moon-flight-possible.htm https://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/factoids/ny-times-admits-m... > New York Times Retracts 1920 Article Saying Spaceflight is Impossible This is Newton's third law. It was known to work for centuries. They retracted but it was something like > Nerds... > Who can stand them?