Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
But why do they care that much? They care that much because the extensive media coverage tells them they should care that much. If it wasn't a big deal then it wouldn't be on the front page for so long would it (is what people would naturally assume)?
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I heard on one podcast put it this way.. the media strives to communicate the truth, and strives to be balanced. Trump feels the media is rigged because of their attempt to present the truth which highlights his compulsive lying. But the real problem is the media seems to place balance even ahead of truth, which results in false equivalencies.
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I don't believe the media strives to communicate the truth or to really care about a balance as fairness. As businesses they strive to retain attention, and within those businesses they have individuals who variously report their versions of truth, entertain, attempt to shock etc. The mix of those individuals is balanced in order to retain the attention of their target audience and to grow that audience.
While newspapers are producing media for an audience that actually reads, and so have a different segment to target, they're also desperate to retain attention. They're not about truth either.
Whether for an audience that reads or not, what the media seek is attention.