Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2042

Much of the focus of today's journalism is on stories of conflict, violence, death, failure or disaster. In a talk delivered at Cardiff University, UK, noted British journalist Martyn Lewis stressed that the media need to change their vision and consider positive stories as worthy of analysis and reporting as negative ones:

The main criteria for commissioning and including stories should be the extent to which those stories shape and change—or have the potential to shape and change—the country or the world in which they [journalists] live. They are criteria, which will not only allow them to expose the injustices and the tragedies in the world, but also to give proper weight to the successes and triumphs. They need to hold up a fairer image of the world in which explaining and analyzing mankind's achievements should be just as important as chronicling and investigating its failures.
Too often they leave an inaccurate, negative impression of a person, place or organization in the minds of readers and viewers because they have not regarded it as newsworthy to report developments or changes of a positive nature that followed. When there is a disaster, there are people trying to recover from it. Where things go wrong, there are people trying to put them right, and trying to make sure they don't happen again. Too often they choose the negative route....

One journalist was heard to say: "You can photograph violence, but you can't photograph peace." And yet surely staying to chronicle the details of the attempts by affected communities to achieve permanent peace is just as great a journalistic challenge as showing the world the bodies under bloodstained sheets....We need to give people a vision of a better future. If we have not such belief, we should quit journalism.

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To the extent that the news is or ought to be useful, the reporting of tragedies merely desensitizes violence and its function as a tool for learning how to avoid future violence. (This is me talking btw). The criteria of shocking sensationalism for worthy news need not be the only way to reach a maximum number of viewers and keep the network's ratings up. I believe that if stories were reported in a more continuous nature, foolowing through with the efforts and successes of those trying to mitigate the disasters, then this kind of reporting would attract just as many viewers. After all, one goes to movies to experience not just the shock of some tragic event, but also the heroism called forth to resolve the problem. Thinking that audiences are moved only by scenes of terror and mayhem is where the news people have it wrong.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2042

On another unrelated note, I just received this email from a philosophy site that I have occasioned over the last few months. When it comes to philosophy, I actually know very little, but I do have a talent for it- a talent which apparently was enough to catch the attention of the mods there and allow me a place among just a few others who are entitled to post in their new heavily moderated forum. My name there is ditto, and I have the least posts of all the special members. Just felt the need to brag.

Congratulations,

You have been added to the "ILP Elite" group on I Love Philosophy.
This action was done by the group moderator or the site administrator,
contact them for more information.

You can view your groups information here:

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Best Regards
ILovePhilosophy Staff

I would post the url, but it is restricted to special (genius) members only.

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Registered: Sep 2000
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Posts: 1925

http://www.ilovephilosophy.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=20

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Denver
Posts: 19626

Hahahaha.

-m

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Registered: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 107

"Thinking that audiences are moved only by scenes of terror and mayhem is where the news people have it wrong."


Actually, in our largely mindless society, they have it right. "If it doesn't bleed, it doesn't lead" really is a media catch phrase.

Bloodlust and "as long as it isn't happening to me-ISM" is here to stay and as long as those people buy products the news will "feed" them what they want to see.

"Bambi" is great but "Bambi meets Godzilla" is greater.

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Registered: Jan 2004
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Sorry if I'm a bit confused, Great Master, but are you suggesting that everyone who frequents that forum is a crazy terrorist? Again, I apologize for my obvious ignorance in light of so great a temple of wisdom that you yourself are.

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Denver
Posts: 19626

What post are you responding to plum?

-m

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2042

quote:

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Originally posted by Mordecai
What post are you responding to plum?

-m

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Denver
Posts: 19626

*blink*

Step away from the crack pipe.

-m

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2042

quote:

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Originally posted by REStrained
"Thinking that audiences are moved only by scenes of terror and mayhem is where the news people have it wrong."


Actually, in our largely mindless society, they have it right. "If it doesn't bleed, it doesn't lead" really is a media catch phrase.

Bloodlust and "as long as it isn't happening to me-ISM" is here to stay and as long as those people buy products the news will "feed" them what they want to see.

"Bambi" is great but "Bambi meets Godzilla" is greater.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Baba Kueria
Posts: 3146

I think it's sweet that the philosophy forum made a special forum just for the likes of you, plum. As an aside, it seems pangloss is a moderator over there. (of the regular forum, not the special plum forum)

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Madrid
Posts: 42

i read secret forum in case there pictures of dog rape. sadly no dog rape, but plum post much interesting sense. when he say A boy can feel greater love by being whipped by his father than he can being hugged by him. YES! so can woman when kicked in flange. many girl love me for this! (maybe his father whip him?)

much friends at the secret forum are great minds like plum! but if you want dick suck, plum, you come to me and we make deal for champagne crazy time, no?

deep philosophy investigation probed here is make yasha think: 'to turn woman on is better to give her head start in the woods before release dogs? or no?'

in uzbekistan, we have special trap for hunting rabbit. we find 'rabbit run' where many rabbits always run, then build wicker funnel which lead rabbit away from rabbit run and into special chamber we build from more wicker. then rabbit run down funnel and into special chamber. then we pour in petrol and throw match! much flame. rabbit not good for eating after, but great for watching! how many other people in secret plum forum?

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 2042

You're all just jealous.

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location:
Posts: 18251

of what? yer big brain? it's done wonders for you, that's for sure.

you still homeless and livin in a car?

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Baba Kueria
Posts: 3146

no, plum is right, I admit it. I'm jealous of the big brains of the philosophy forum mods. Nobody *here* thought to set plum up in his very own VIP asylum forum, did they?

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Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:

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Originally posted by Mugtoe

you still homeless and livin in a car?

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Last edited by plum on 11-02-2004 at 11:58 PM

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Registered: Dec 2002
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Posts: 2573

Oh come on plum if any network decided to fill news hour with happy happy joy joy stories they'd be beaten out by other networks with more gore and violence. Market research isn't a falsehood Plum and the people running these networks arn't stupid.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: b0ulder
Posts: 5130

I'd be willing to bet they could even spell aren't correctly.

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location:
Posts: 18251

quote:

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Originally posted by plum

So are you still a crackhead?

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Registered: Jan 2004
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I have tried it, and I honestly couldn't see what the big deal was. $15 of pot will keep me soothed and dreamy for two or more days. A $20 bottle of rhum will bring all my darkest secrets to the surface in one night. But a hundred dollar stone will just leave me feeling...stupid.

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location:
Posts: 18251

well, drugs really did help you find yer true self

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Registered: May 2003
Location: N. Texas
Posts: 3482

quote:

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Originally posted by plum
.....$15 of pot will keep me soothed and dreamy for two or more days. A $20 bottle of rhum will bring all my darkest secrets to the surface in one night. But a hundred dollar stone will just leave me feeling...stupid.

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