From what I know of UK journalists, it’s more the owners and editors (who are usually picked by the owners) who are either more like the people being interviewed, or they believe they can manipulate the interviewed into doing what they want. A lot of Sun and Daily Mail journalists would rather be working somewhere else, the editors and columnists are usually the ones who are happy there.
5 Likes
That makes sense. I’m a little less likely to assume the person behind the byline is merely a victim of the biases of their higher ups just because I’ve noticed the same biases in bloggers who have no higher ups and people I meet in person, so I attributed this bias to just about anyone in the college educated white city dweller set. But you’re right that I can’t know if someone wanted to talk to different people or ask different questions but knew it wouldn’t fly.
Frankly, I couldn’t muster a drip more respect for someone who voted for him and still “supports” him (whatever that means) than for someone who has seen the error of their ways. The only reasons someone would have voted for him were a) willful ignorance, b) the knowledge that they would directly benefit from his presidency while many other suffer or c) pure cynical hatred and a desire to see it all come tumbling down. All three are indefefensible.
Sure, I don’t have respect for Trump voters one way or the other either. I doubt that they care much though. These are people who have a big part in the outcome of a vote in a (semi-)democratic system, especially one that neglects providing the majority of voters with a proper education while making them feel marginalised at the same time.
Rationality plays a small part in their decisionmaking, and if they are going to get screwed no matter who is in charge, as they would have, more or less, with the choices that were offered to them, spite is their main motivation.
1 Like
The corporate media: Becoming ever more harmful to society. Then again, I suppose selling establishment lies becomes ever more difficult and complicated when the establishment becomes ever more toxic.
1 Like
I could repeat your post word for word except substituting the phrase “unwarranted hope” or “wishful thinking” for the word “spite”.
There is a massive information asymmetry at work, helping to keep rural and urban folk disdainful of each other. Just the difference in AM and FM radio alone is astounding (FM is line of sight, perfect for towering megalopoli, but AM is what works in the mountains and hills).
3 Likes
4 Likes
…“hard to admit when you’re wrong + easy to be wrong” = ???
So what we’re seeing is a combination of being very wrong and not wanting to admit you were wrong?
1 Like
Many voted for him because d) they disliked him slightly less than they did Hillary.
3 Likes
maybe it’s simpler than all that. Poor people don’t buy media company stock and they don’t buy airtime.
1 Like
It was very hard for me to vote for Hilary, though I am no where near the middle of the spectrum. I abhor this nation’s history and she was the platonic ideal of globalist soft imperialism wearing the cloak of democracy. However, that fact does not exonerate those who chose to vote for a serial rapist and his cohort of cartoon villains.
ETA: I agree with your addition to my original post. Just clarifying that I still find that logic inexcusable.
4 Likes
No argument from me. I’m just forwarding their opinions. That doesn’t mean I agree with them.
2 Likes
That’s OK, neither was Hillary. (see previous comments about the US Overton Window normalising fascism). After the primaries she was clearly the least worst option who could win the 2016 election, but that didn’t make her policies left wing or more than mildly socially liberal.
4 Likes
More on the media asymmetry I referenced earlier:
Urban and rural populations are both heavily, incessantly propagandized, but the propaganda is extremely different. Rural voters are trained to believe urban folk are effete and unpatriotic, urban voters are trained to believe rural folk are brutish and ignorant.
4 Likes
I suppose both could be somewhat true.
1 Like
Propaganda works best built around a seed of truth. That’s why both sides are so heavily into nut-picking these days, I think. Paint the fringe as mainstream and you reframe the debate to your advantage.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
