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Yes, I mostly refer to that first question. I did not get stuck there. I believe you misunderstood my post. I do not claim Americans are ignorant — I was askin

by nmc 13y ago

Yes, I mostly refer to that first question. I did not get stuck there. I believe you misunderstood my post. I do not claim Americans are ignorant — I was asking a question anyway, so not claiming anything. I believe that, by publishing such a basic article, The Washington Post is claiming Americans are ignorant. I am trying to understand that particular phenomenon: why would a respectable newspaper, made for educated people, publish an article intended to the ignorant?

acqq 13y ago
Like you admitted yourself, you also didn't know everything from the article. So your added claim: "2. The article explains a situation by giving a basic history lesson, and does not contain any new or exclusive information." Doesn't hold in my opinion. The article is more than "basic" for anybody not following Ukraine permanently. Still can I agree with you if you consider the article tone a bit insulting to the reader. I find it a strange etiquette, openly writing to the reader as he's "too simple." But I believe enough readers consider it a joke, exactly on the topic "most Americans don't know anything about the World."
- nmc 13y ago
  To be fair, I wrote "new or exclusive", not "unknown to me". The "strange etiquette" you mention is exactly what I was referring to. Except that, to me, it did not feel like a joke, so I wanted to be sure — I am probably not enough used to some aspects of American culture.
moocowduckquack 13y ago
It is one of the maxims of US media. "No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have researched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby." H. L. Mencken, "Notes on Journalism" Personally, I think that this rule being taken seriously has done more damage for US culture than just about anything else.
gerbal 13y ago
Because even educated people aren't educated in every area of knowledge. Your average American newspaper reader doesn't know too much about Ukraine. That's not a good or a bad things, just a fact. Much like I don't expect an average European newspaper reader to know too much about Kentucky or Paraguay. And in the service of serving the audience, providing some background in an approachable listicle format is quite useful. Especially considering that many readers probably know that Ukraine is in the midst of turmoil, but they may not understand the root causes.

by nmc 13y ago

acqq 13y ago

Like you admitted yourself, you also didn't know everything from the article. So your added claim: "2. The article explains a situation by giving a basic history lesson, and does not contain any new or exclusive information." Doesn't hold in my opinion. The article is more than "basic" for anybody not following Ukraine permanently. Still can I agree with you if you consider the article tone a bit insulting to the reader. I find it a strange etiquette, openly writing to the reader as he's "too simple." But I believe enough readers consider it a joke, exactly on the topic "most Americans don't know anything about the World."

nmc 13y ago
To be fair, I wrote "new or exclusive", not "unknown to me". The "strange etiquette" you mention is exactly what I was referring to. Except that, to me, it did not feel like a joke, so I wanted to be sure — I am probably not enough used to some aspects of American culture.

moocowduckquack 13y ago

It is one of the maxims of US media. "No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have researched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby." H. L. Mencken, "Notes on Journalism" Personally, I think that this rule being taken seriously has done more damage for US culture than just about anything else.

gerbal 13y ago

Because even educated people aren't educated in every area of knowledge. Your average American newspaper reader doesn't know too much about Ukraine. That's not a good or a bad things, just a fact. Much like I don't expect an average European newspaper reader to know too much about Kentucky or Paraguay. And in the service of serving the audience, providing some background in an approachable listicle format is quite useful. Especially considering that many readers probably know that Ukraine is in the midst of turmoil, but they may not understand the root causes.