Ethics in Journalism: Why is the press so gullible?

[JoeShlabotnik]

I read quite a bit. I read the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and some other publications.
Does the so-called main-stream media favor progressive causes? Perhaps.
During the 2016 presidential election, I read a lot of stories in these publications that were critical of Hillary Clinton, for one reason or another.
I read stories that were unfavorable to Donald Trump and to Jill Stein.
I always have seen the print media as an equal-opportunity offender. They tend to get under the skin of most politicians. And I do not think that is a bad thing.
Part of the problem for President Trump has to do with the fact that he contradicts his press secretary much of the time. It is hard to get his message correct when what he says and what his spokespeople say are in conflict.
To address the original questions asked at the top of this thread, I do not believe this press is gullible. I believe politicians try to manipulate the press to try to influence what they report.
I had a professor in college who once told me that we both sides of an issue are yelling, then the press probably is getting the story right.

 

[Erikaspirit16]

Man bites dog: News.

Dog bites man: NOT news.

 

[YourNameHere]

Edward R. Murrow was run out of his job by those who wished to place more on selling advertising than on reporting news.

 

[YourNameHere]

Washington posts reports on story. News.
Donald Trump tweets about story. Fake news.

 

[adgloriam]

Is there a deeper reason behind it than the fact that it attracts attention and ratings or is the press for the most part just a commercial-driven entity?

Media is a “social space” divided according to political/power interests (it is not just ratings, audiences, and sales.)

 

[edwest211]

Not the case. People like Edward R. Murrow had to go because people trusted him, but his ideas and focus were no longer acceptable to others.

 

[edwest211]

Jeff Bezos of Amazon owns The Washington Post.

 

[adgloriam]

Am beginning to see CAF as I do the media:

Lotta hate and polemics have poisoned this thread from the start.

CAF isn’t the media because it’s mostly individuals coming together for dialogue. I find their differing individual opinions representative and worth it.

I would remind you @po18guy that we’re not in “election season” that’s when countless users with nothing other than political agendas swamped the CAF threads attempting to overwhelm the regular habitués. (those have all gone since…)

 

[adgloriam]

Let’s just not.

Global cooling does not exist !!

 

[PetraG]

Global cooling does not exist !!

Let’s just not.

 

[Sundiver]

I don’t want to get too far off topic.
Sometimes idealists can articulate effectively to sell their pseudo utopian ideas. Hitler was an extreme example of this. He was able to render the people spellbound and we witnessed the result of that. I’m not saying Obama was anything like Hitler. They speak from their ivory tower. Idealists persuade the people to believe in something that is total fantasy so that they can gain power and wealth. It is a form of enslavement.
I believe there is a utopia that this world can achieve. However, many among us answer to our fallen nature and there is too much corruption. Freedom for everyone is the safest path. All we have to do is look at the innovations, inventions, technology, and methods that come from the Republics throughout history. Look at Rome and their innovations. They prospered because in the beginning of that civilization they were looking for innovators. They gave them the freedom to create. This is the same with America. People like Obama want to limit freedom.

 

[Sundiver]

lofty ideals only go so far,

This is interesting. Can you give a few examples based on your experience?

 

[edwest211]

In what way is any politician limiting anyone’s ability to innovate?

 

[Aquinas11]

Look at Rome and their innovations. They prospered because in the beginning of that civilization they were looking for innovators.

E Michael Jones in recent video pointed out that Roman Empire technology was so vast that 1000 years later he was visiting Germany and couldn’t get running hot and cold water, which was available in that same region 1000 years earlier.

 

[Sundiver]

It starts with government over- regulation of businesses. Over taxation of business. If you take away the profit there is no motivation to innovate.
An extreme case for government manipulation. I have known, personally, at least two scientists who have defected from Russia and one from Cuba because the communists tried to limit their research. The one from Russia was told that they were going to take his inventions and weaponize them. The scientist from Cuba was told by Castro to get out or he would murder his entire family. So, look what the NAZI’s tried to do to Einstein and other scientists. They threatened them with death or enslavement if they did no serve the fascists.

Government never produces anything. It is always the individuals who invent.

 

[Sundiver]

Wow! I did not know St. Thomas More coined Utopia. It’s always the liberals who use that word or at least they parallel the concept.

I totally agree that we are burdened with the fallen nature. However, I don’t believe it is permanent. We might be ascending very gradually.

 

[edwest211]

I study the history of invention and the history of technology. Government groups are always looking for inventions. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a regular on the lists of supporters for new research and development. A number of Universities are also doing government-funded work.

The number of businesses that pay no or little taxes is ridiculous.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Of businesses who started with wide eyed idealists only to need to make a profit? Really? Watch a few episodes of Shark Tank.

I worked for a couple of startups back in the tech bubble, lofty goals that then failed to make money.

Business press is literally full of stories about failed idealistic businesses.

Why Goal Setting Can Lead To Disaster

New research shows that setting ambitious targets often encourages poor performance.

www.forbes.com

What Not to Do: 5 Lessons From Failed Unicorns | Entrepreneur

Smart business practices will always prevail.

www.entrepreneur.com

 

[Sundiver]

Thank you. You are right . It is difficult to know what will sell.

 

[Sundiver]

That is interesting. Hardly anyone recognized Jesus after his glorious resurrection.

I’m not saying we can transcend our fallen nature completely. I believe we will conquer it to some extent.

Don’t you think we will be something like Jesus when he appeared transfigured?

Once on the mountain, Matthew 17:2 states that Jesus “was transfigured before them; his face shining as the sun, and his garments became white as the light.”

I have always understood that we are to imitate Jesus and become like him. Maybe this is the way we were in the garden of Eden? We would be different- a little lower- from those who are in heaven. Yet, we would be better than our fallen nature at present.