Do You Trust The Media For Information?

http://mimbari.livejournal.com/111827.html

November 16-2010:

Do You Trust The Media For Information?

Press TV (Iran), asked this question on their program today. So here is my response to it.

There was a time, a long time ago, when the Radio was all we had to listen to, receive information or hear stories being told in some studio locally or globally. With the advent of television, those countries that has access to it, and viewers that could afford it bought it, watched it, and drew their own conclusions. More or less, the viewers believed in most of what was told them via this medium.

However, as time went by, and the debut of the Internet, and Internet access by millions globally. News dissemination, news gathering, and news reporting has changed remarkably. Today with an Internet access, the user could watch some incident as it unfolds, and not have to wait until some reporter of CNN, BBC, or FOX, report it later in the day on the regular news channels.

With cell phone cameras, any individual could shoot a scene or incident as it happens, and upload the video on YouTube.com, for the world to see and comment on, without having to wait for the
traditional media outlet for this information. Which may or may not be shown, and possibly relay a totally different scenario of that situation, that you the civilian onlooker saw and filmed.

However, it is up to the viewer to decide what he/she sees on TV, whether that information is plausible or not, and how much of it will influence his/her opinion on that particular issue. Do not believe everything you see or hear on TV, Radio, or The Internet. Surf several news outlets on the Internet for your new's gathering. It will give you a more varied perspective on the news, and will aid you in arriving at a conclusion, or determining what is plausible or not.

Derryck.
NYC.