Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
Mainstream media may have its biases, but if you think the alternatives don't, then you're kidding yourself. Waving the flag for all U.S. foreign policy is simplistic and biased. But so is painting all U.S. foreign policy in the worst light - which is exactly what these alternative sources do. And even alternative media is better served by professional journalists with expertise and a broad range of contacts. These alternative outlets need some source of revenue to operate, just as every business does. But online readers refuse to pay.
|
It isn't as simplistic as you are painting it to be, and these are hardly basement bloggers posting up rumors and half-truths in order to serve some personal vendetta or support some anti-western propaganda.
There are lots of very experienced, talented and respected journalists writing for many different media streams. I would think that journalists like John Pilger offer a differing viewpoint that at the very least helps you gain more insight into a particular event that is being reported on, and you can then make up your own mind about it through your own critical thinking. And yes, he (and many others like him in these alternative media outlets) are actual journalists with often decades of investigative journalism behind them, and they stand by their work. Again, these are not basement bloggers that are only self-serving, or the whacko, tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists (these make me cross my eyes until it hurts from outright stupidity and craziness). These are actual respected journalists who just refuse to tow some company line.
Is that to say that one should shun all mainstream media? No. You get a different perspective. The problem arises when you 100% this perspective as the real 'truth' behind the story, and don't bother to get any more information so that you can use your own critical thinking skills to arrive at your own conclusions (and when I say 'your' - I am not directly implying you CliffFletcher, just the public in general).
Read both viewpoints. Decide for yourself what is the truth, and how you should feel about that truth. Don't just believe the garbage that is trotted out everywhere like the "Liberation of Iraq".
Again, these are REAL journalists, with their face, name and credentials available to everyone, and who are bound by the same laws governing everyone else - including the same consequences for slander. I think this is already way too long and distracting from the intention of this thread, so I will just cut it off here, but my point is that one simply does not get the full story out of mainstream media as the only source.
Edit: Oh, and they absolutely do write up positive things about US foreign policy when they deem to - they are not a hate group. They are just government critics, and they write critical pieces on all governments as stories come.