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11 Jan 2007, 11:32
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London
Posts: 3,347
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Overt Bias in the Media?
there may be a legal answer for this but I'm not sure. Whenever you watch/read the news and it's about politicians saying things that aren't true, when they are caught out they are said to have 'misinformed' the public. Why aren't they said to have 'lied' to the public?
What kind of false statement would have to be made to make 'misinformation' just plain old 'lying'?
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The 20th century has been characterised by three developments of great political importance. The growth of democracy; the growth of corporate power; and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy.
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11 Jan 2007, 11:35
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#2
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Registered Awesome Person
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,676
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
It depends what you're watching/reading. The BBC's far more likely to state that Blair/Minister X has misinformed the public than a paper like The Sun, which probably hasn't used the word 'misinformed' for at least 20 years.
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11 Jan 2007, 11:49
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#3
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Dum Di Dum Di
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 858
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Because lying and misinforming are two different words with slightly different meanings.
If you actually believe the statement you made was true, you're not lying, but you're still misinforming.
When it's highly likely, or certain, that they knew better, the word 'lie' should be used though. That said, in these litigous societies, it's not too surprising to see a tendency to go for the safer option.
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11 Jan 2007, 12:24
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#4
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I ♡ ☠
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 834
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Quote:
Originally Posted by hyfe
If you actually believe the statement you made was true, you're not lying, but you're still misinforming.
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Although this has some truth in it, a better explanation is: if the person is in a position of authority they misinform, if they're not, they lie.
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11 Jan 2007, 12:34
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#5
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Dum Di Dum Di
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 858
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hebdomad
Although this has some truth in it, a better explanation is: if the person is in a position of authority they misinform, if they're not, they lie.
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Well, yeah.
Just the same as small, ugly people are a lot more likely to have random insults thrown at them than large, ugly people. Everybody weigh their words more carefully when there's potential for repurcussions.
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11 Jan 2007, 12:42
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#6
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The Twilight of the Gods
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 23,481
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Quote:
Originally Posted by All Systems Go
there may be a legal answer for this but I'm not sure. Whenever you watch/read the news and it's about politicians saying things that aren't true, when they are caught out they are said to have 'misinformed' the public. Why aren't they said to have 'lied' to the public?
What kind of false statement would have to be made to make 'misinformation' just plain old 'lying'?
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Misinformed merely states that the information given was inaccurate. To state that they were lying requires not only that the information was inaccurate, but that they knew it was inaccurate and deliberately attempted to misinform the public.
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11 Jan 2007, 13:03
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#7
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Clerk
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 13,940
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
The BBC does say people "lie", but usually only when they've admitted they lied. So for instance :
Quote:
Excerpts: Hungarian 'lies' speech
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Quote:
Bosnian Serbs 'lied about past'
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As opposed to :
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We lied to win, says Hungary PM
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Quote:
Sikh teen lied about hair attack
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11 Jan 2007, 15:41
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#8
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Registered Awesome Person
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,676
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Quote:
Originally Posted by horn
i can't remember the country, but in the metro the other day a reference was made to "analysts" who suggested that the government of said country had faked terrorist attacks in order to gain support for military operations.
you can bet your three legged dog that if this suggestion had been made about a western country, the term "analyst", would have been replaced with "conspiracy theorist"
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Russia blowing up some Moscow apartment blocks (300+ deaths) to gain greater support for the war in Chechnya, I think. The explosions happened in September 1999, were blamed on Chechen seperatists and Russia promptly upped its operations there.
This may be an interesting read.
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Finally free!
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11 Jan 2007, 18:02
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#9
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Victim of Marriage
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: NW Indiana
Posts: 784
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
The obvious reason that a politician would never admit to lying is quite simply that they're afraid it might affect there ability to get elected or re-elected.
Personally I'd rather have a politician admit he was lying than trying to make himself look better by saying he was 'misinformed'. While it does dock him a bit on credibility for lying, it does give him a few points in having the balls to admit it.
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You mean there's life outside the internet...oh man I'm screwed.
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11 Jan 2007, 18:23
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#10
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Jazz Man
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,494
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jt25man
The obvious reason that a politician would never admit to lying is quite simply that they're afraid it might affect there ability to get elected or re-elected.
Personally I'd rather have a politician admit he was lying than trying to make himself look better by saying he was 'misinformed'. While it does dock him a bit on credibility for lying, it does give him a few points in having the balls to admit it.
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Like this guy did?
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Marv
Ex ROCK HC & PA Team Head of Support.
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11 Jan 2007, 19:34
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#11
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Banned
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Further to the right
Posts: 19,441
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Quote:
The latest protests were sparked by Mr Gyurcsany's remarkable admission that his government had lied in order to win victory in the general election in April, and had achieved nothing in its past four years in office.
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I'd re-elect him based solely on the fact he said that.
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Some might ask what good is life without purpose but I'm anticipating a good lunch.
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12 Jan 2007, 13:43
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#12
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Bad Girl
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: right here..right now
Posts: 1,055
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Although we hope what we see in the media is unbiased, every countries media will have a small bias toward its own people.
IMO the BBC have the highest unbias and will critisize just about anyone in any country if they warrant it, and broadcast the news.... sometimes a little later than the rest as they do make much deeper attempts at discerning the events first.
Newspapers are an entirely different kettle of fish, each one has its own political slant.
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12 Jan 2007, 21:40
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#13
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I am.
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,580
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Quote:
Originally Posted by horn
i'd agree if he'd said it in public, but he just got caught out on tape :/
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he leaked the tapes.
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hi
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12 Jan 2007, 23:59
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#14
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Darling
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 10
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
The politicians code is not to tell the truth but something similar will do, fleet street will adjust that slightly
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"Live today----Dead tonight, if yer sleep"
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13 Jan 2007, 17:13
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#15
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Bad Girl
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: right here..right now
Posts: 1,055
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Re: Overt Bias in the Media?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toccata & Fugue
Haven't you seen BBC Breakfast, what a load of toss. It is only in the barren wasteland of contemporary journalism that a small mound like the BBC can be regarded as a mountain.
But I wouldn't say the BBC were biased towards one particular party, if they caught a politician lying they would run with that story without hesitation. Its a complex relationship.
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no actually i havent watched bbc breakfast...
but being currently on holiday in Austria .. where the only english speaking tv is CNN (i cant believe i actually watched some of it ) Sky News (OMG.. OMG ...OMG is my only comment ) and BBC world .
the wasteland is barren .. and i could bungee off the BBC.
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R1 - noob
R2,3,4, - ICD | R5 -ICD HC |R6 - HR Command | R7 - HR Command/NoS
R8,9,9.5,- HR HC /NoS Exec | R10 - HR HC | R10.5 - HR HC (FYTFO with LCH)
R11 -> NOW HR HC
(a round history not condusive to suceeding in exams, having a life or much sleep )
I'm not misunderstood ... I'm EVIL
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