Newsletter #425 Preview: Another Look at Lies, Ignorance and All That Stuff
January 20th, 2008In theory, respectable newspapers devote a small amount of space to correct errors. When it’s an online news outlet, posts can be easily modified, and, when appropriate, the nature of the correction would be highlighted or explained in an addendum to the post.Unfortunately, there are far too many members of the press these days who, out of laziness, a blatant disregard for facts or for reasons unknown, choose to repeat the same falsehoods over and over again. You can correct them day and night, and it will make no difference.
Once they write the words the first time, they become immutable. They cannot be changed, ever, and to hell with the facts.
Now I have written rants from time to time about the unfair coverage Apple often gets from certain elements of the media. But I don’t want to take the paranoid point of view, that the press is out to get Apple and/or Steve Jobs. It’s just that some have certain agendas that may simply stem from a desire to get higher circulations or hint counts. They might even regard a few paragraphs of pithy, if totally incorrect, comments as having some sort of entertainment value. One of the worst offenders in the entertainment arena is John Dvorak, and he’s not entertaining — at least to me.
Sure, you might get a few yucks from a clever turn of phrase, but tech journalism isn’t akin to writing for a sitcom, or maybe some of these writers produce movie and TV scripts part time. Being out of work for now, till the Writer’s Guild strike is settled, they forgot how to separate facts from fiction.
Well, I’m not entirely serious about that, but I do have my suspicions from time to time. At least Apple is no longer the beleaguered company, although I still think some pundits who gave up that catch phrase are still tempted to invoke it again at the slightest inkling that something Apple is doing isn’t entirely successful.
Story continued in this week’s Tech Night Owl Newsletter.
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Isn’t at all about stiring up controversy to get traffic to there site? We all get up in arms and want to tell them they are wrong so we read news feed rush over while they smile saying to themselves “suckers” now my sponsors will be happy with all this traffic.
I here Dvorak on Twit sometimes and he doesnt bother me. He is a bit of a stirrer and funnily enough I have heard him recommend Macs to listeners. But I know what you mean. I just try to ignore them and not play their games.
The problem is though mud sticks. A recent example at my work a reporter talked about our company saying something that was a 1/2 truth. All the local people got up in arms about it and we now have to explain to them why we do things this way. This was years ago and they still moan and make smart comments so the mud stuck. It is really stupid how we trust the media so much and never seem to question their truthfulness. A classic for us was a friend jumped off a cliff into the sea where lots of people do this.. he is a bit of a daredevil . The papaers went nuts over it. 1 report showed them interviewing him… It went like this. Would you jump again.. Yes was his reply.
A second TV station showed them same clip. Would you jump again? Yes under the correct conditions with appropriate saftey mesures taken in place as long as it was ok with the authorities. What a totally different report! People hated him and where really nasty (well the ones who saw the shortened report)
Just shows you, never believe or trust the truthfulness of any media or reports. They are all skewed to some extent or another. The real problem is how people sit there and believe everything told them through media. That is hellishly scarey!