Bias in media

We spoke about bias in journalism recently in class. It got me thinking about bias in major media networks today. When I say bias i don't mean cut and dry stuff like conspiracies versus reality or police versus criminals. I mean organizations that cater to a small subset of the American people, and will do whatever it takes to keep them happy. Bias in journalism has become a problem in part because greed has eclipsed practicality of the news for these stations. Only by holding the public first can you avoid bias towards one group over another unfairly. Several prominent stations now report whatever will keep their audience happy as opposed to helpful or even realistic information to earn more money.

Charlie Brown and the Football- this is for j+c

We talked briefly in class about rumors being reported like fact in modern media. It called me back to this video by Vox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlf6VjRIHMw&list=PLJ8cMiYb3G5cghzLdchzalWpQJnhRYZgO&index=4 It is a common problem in modern media that news stations report rumors spouted by politicians without doing any/sufficient research to verify their statements are true. This misleads people, but also gives a false positive for the information reported on. We can't ignore outlandish statements made by politicians, but careful checks are necessary so as not to mislead the public. When rumors and claims are put out as fact, we are more likely to treat them as true even when they are proved false.

Jacksonville- and America's ongoing gun issue

When I first heard of the shooting at the Jacksonville Madden Tournament, I was appalled. But that feeling faded quickly, and was replaced with indifference, which in turn caused anger. You see, I was a victim of a dangerous phenomena- acclimatization to mass shootings. This is a serious problem in America today. It seems that every time we have a shooting, It takes up media space for a week, there's a push for reform, and then it all falls to pieces. I'm passionate about this topic because there are so many cases at this point where stricter mental health laws for gun purchase and lower caliber weapons available to the public could have saved lives by preventing shootings altogether, or lessening the death count. Something needs to change. The media needs to put pressure on politicians to do better for our people.

JCPS state takeover

When I first heard of the legal debate about a state takeover of JCPS, I was legitimately shocked. I  imagined a crackdown on freedom of opinion for students and a general fear that the state would, in some unforeseen way, screw up the environment I came to Manual for. Now that a deal has been reached and I’ve calmed down, I’m less worried. But questions still remain. JCPS agreed to a partial takeover. What does that mean for budget? Students? Staff? What’s in store for us? Will this help JCPS prosper, or bring an unforeseen ruin?

MSNBC-and modern news’- continuing problem.

Today I was checking on earthen affairs and found this segment from MSNBC’s the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell: http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/call-trump-s-trade-deal-anything-but-nafta-1307785283796?v=railb . This segment is titled “What’s in Pres. Trump’s preliminary agreement with Mexico?” Here’s the problem with this. Watching it was boring, and sleep-inducing. O’Donnell does a poor job of making the important interesting, with his consulting expert and himself actually belittling the trade deal changes. In addition, this segment has an important topic in foreign relations and the automotive industry, but O’Donnell fails to truly show or tell how this will have an impact on people’s lives. We don’t get solid answers to the questions like: how could this affect the economy of the U.S.? This segment also exhibits the common journalistic flaw of the modern age- politics over practicality. Probably at least a quarter of this time is devoted to talking about the president’s views and wants here, and O’Donnell comes back to it at least twice after the segment is into the meat of the story. The president’s views are important, but in this case the focus should be on relations with Mexico and Canada, and effects on the economies involved in this deal. You get barely any substantial information about what is actually in this deal or how it will affect us, even though it is the titular question here. It’s a confusing, rushed, and largely unhelpful piece. That is unacceptable. With a little more time and effort put in to the preliminary research for this topic, it could have been an engaging, useful piece about potential economic change and international relations, yet it feels like you’re little the wiser for watching it about either topic. Change needs to be made.

An Introduction

Hello There! I am Justin, and this blog will be my perspective on various current events. The title derives from a character in a story I'm making. The book is a mix of Warhammer 40k, LOTR and Warhammer, thrown into a melting pot with tactics and combat. Saying that, the posts may be in character, but will always reflect modern news and my opinion on them. Thanks for reading. I'll see you around!