Does anyone believe what they read in the newspapers or on TV?

irishmusico · 9th November 2007, 16:22

There was a time that I believed everything that was told to me by the media but now even the accounts in top stories can differ from paper to paper or news channel to news channel.I am wondering what everyone else thinks.

Sunny 1 · 9th November 2007, 16:27

most is pure sensational rubbish to sell more papers / to raise the viewng figures.
Look at the hacks that doorstep people

Even the broadsheets are dubious now

What annoys me is their view of us the reader, as sub intelligent enough to believe it all

Janet · 9th November 2007, 16:35

The problem isn't the story, it's the interpretation. This can and will be twisted to suit the readership and/or the ownership of the paper concerned. The only solution is to read several papers .... or none!

mac · 9th November 2007, 16:35

We had another thread on this and i think at the end of the day we have to agree that it is all SELECTIVE jounalism. They write what will sell, what is sensationalism.
I once read a write up about a play and the quote was ".......you must see this play" and the name of a famous critic. What he actually said was "If you want to be bored to death, you must see this play".
They were quite right in what they said but by taking it out of context they made it the opposite of what was said!!!!

KirstyJay · 9th November 2007, 16:36

It's the need to exhaust every single angle that gets me

macbee48 · 9th November 2007, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janet

The problem isn't the story, it's the interpretation. This can and will be twisted to suit the readership and/or the ownership of the paper concerned. The only solution is to read several papers .... or none!

I'll go for option B thankyou.

They're all a shower of lying pond life.

ollyvee · 9th November 2007, 16:51

It depends which newspaper you read,most of the tabloids I take with a pinch of salt,but the Telegraph seems to have a good mix,whether it is believable is down to interpretation.Why do people spend good money on papers like the Star if only for the topless pictures,what news would you believe from there.I read the Daily Mail,I know Tory paper,a paper my husband says caters mainly for women,he like the telegraph,but sneaks the mail for the sport.

torrenter · 9th November 2007, 16:58

What worries me is that the news agenda is disturbingly similar between TV and newspapers nowadays.

I am not a believer in conspiricy theory, and I can only assume via occam's razor that journalists are becoming increasingly lazy and feeding only on 'news handouts' or 'releases' from big news outlets nowadays instead of working for their bread and butter.

I used to like the World Service when I lived in the UK as they seemed to buck the trend. Not easily available on Tenerife though