OK, who heard this one?

[D2Kvirus]

I read a news report on Ceefax yesterday that stated that a new al-Qu'eda tape had found its way through, and was broadcast on CNN. It featured a man hidden by a black turban, threatening more terrorist activities in the US. However, after the tape was shown, the anchor said that it couldn't be substantiated.

I've been looking all over the place for a link to this story (all the UK papers, several news trackers, and the websites for CNN, BBC, ITN, NBC), yet something this monumentous wasn't picked up anywhere, except CNN for the broadcast (which is strange, since you'd think NBC, Fox et al would be able to get hold of it, wouldn't you?), before it all went quiet.

OK, now do you believe me when I say the media is there to terrify you into stupidity and compliance, and getting some good ratings to boot?

Mad Cow Disease: slightly over 30 people dead over a period of 20 years.
West Nile Virus: Has a fatality rate of 1/1000.
SARS: Is less lethal then the flu.
Iraq: Has sand and sandstorms.

The media will blow anything out of proportion if it's knew and possibly lethal. SHARK ATTACKS! RAAAH! A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE DIE EVERY FEW DECADES! And now a message from our sponsors.

Why do you think they have commercials breaks during your 6 o' clock news? It's probably the show with the highest ratings on TV, advertisers will pay them big money to have their product advertised between two reports of scarey diseases and terrorists. In return, the news station with the highest ratings will get the most money from corporate advertisers.

It's not news between two commercial breaks, it's commercials between two news breaks.

[mrpopenfresh]

At 6/23/03 12:54 PM, nailbomb wrote: Mad Cow Disease: slightly over 30 people dead over a period of 20 years.
West Nile Virus: Has a fatality rate of 1/1000.
SARS: Is less lethal then the flu.
Iraq: Has sand and sandstorms.

You forgot about that anthrax scare after sept 11th. Yet another handful of fatalitys there. After that, old ladies were putting their mail in the microwawe for months!

[nitroxide]

Well all the hoopla about the shark attacks suddenly ended when 9-11 occurred..

Maybe the terrorist scared them off...LOL

[Jimsween]

I dont know what you are talking about, I saw it one fox and cnbc.

[nitroxide]

At 6/23/03 08:36 PM, Jimsween wrote: I dont know what you are talking about, I saw it one fox and cnbc.

You saw it one?are you sure you saw it one?...LOL.

[aviewaskewed]

At 6/23/03 12:45 PM, D2KVirus wrote:

OK, now do you believe me when I say the media is there to terrify you into stupidity and compliance, and getting some good ratings to boot?

Sure...that's why I never really watch the news...because if it isn't some kind of "OMG scary thing happened today!" it's something about how some celebrity tripped or something...bah...fuck the news.

[Commander-K25]

The media's been blowing stuff out of proportion for years. This is nothing new, unfortunantely. It's not political, it's about pandering to the fears of the audience to gain ratings.

[mrpopenfresh]

Alot of news shows are relying more and more on edutainement by dumbing down the news and talking alot about celebrity marriages and consumer reports. Look at shows like 20/20, at first they seem like a news show, but its about the last of the little rascals or a small town in Idaho has a low speed limit so that they can get a buncha money from tickets given to people that are just passing by.

At 6/23/03 08:36 PM, Jimsween wrote: I dont know what you are talking about, I saw it one fox and cnbc.

Yes, but did it make the headlines?

We live in an age of docu-dramas and info-mercials. It's quite pathetic how some people will believe anything they see on TV or read in their government-approved textbook.

[aviewaskewed]

At 6/23/03 10:58 PM, nailbomb wrote: We live in an age of docu-dramas and info-mercials. It's quite pathetic how some people will believe anything they see on TV or read in their government-approved textbook.

yeah I know...wait, they make you USE them textbooks? Fuck at my college we barely use them...of course, I can't just decide to go off and not buy it...I still have to buy them...than risk not being able to sell it back...damn waste of my money every goddamn semester...oh fuck, I got real off topic there didn't I?

[Commander-K25]

At 6/23/03 10:58 PM, nailbomb wrote: We live in an age of docu-dramas and info-mercials. It's quite pathetic how some people will believe anything they see on TV or read in their government-approved textbook.

Yes, but remember that it works both ways.

[bumcheekcity]

At 6/23/03 11:34 PM, Commander-K25 wrote:

At 6/23/03 10:58 PM, nailbomb wrote: We live in an age of docu-dramas and info-mercials. It's quite pathetic how some people will believe anything they see on TV or read in their government-approved textbook.

Yes, but remember that it works both ways.

What do you mean? That the Newsreaders and government Ministers believe everything we say?

[Jimsween]

At 6/23/03 10:52 PM, nailbomb wrote:

At 6/23/03 08:36 PM, Jimsween wrote: I dont know what you are talking about, I saw it one fox and cnbc.

Yes, but did it make the headlines?

How the hell does it make headlines on TV? Much less within hours of it happening.

[FreidanX]

Heh. Sounds like one of my rants.

However, one could simply argue economics and say that they are simply satisfying a demand... giving people what they want. After yet another day of our inane lives we like to sit in front of the TV and hear exciting stories of far-away struggles in far-away lands that inspire, shock, and horrify us.

After all, what kind of politics forum would this be without our daily doses of spoon-fed mass media?

[SpEeDFiReSrFr]

At 6/23/03 01:22 PM, mrpopenfresh wrote:

At 6/23/03 12:54 PM, nailbomb wrote: Mad Cow Disease: slightly over 30 people dead over a period of 20 years.
West Nile Virus: Has a fatality rate of 1/1000.
SARS: Is less lethal then the flu.
Iraq: Has sand and sandstorms.

You forgot about that anthrax scare after sept 11th. Yet another handful of fatalitys there. After that, old ladies were putting their mail in the microwawe for months!

I agree with Nailbomb on the first thing, but the thing you wrote about the anthrax was a bit much. It had to do with terrorism, which most people watch the news for nowadays.

[BootlegJones]

I've never heard someone make so much sense in my life. about 99% of newscasters care more about ratings then probably there own families then the news. Thats why I get my news from The Daily Show, because they arn't a real news sorce.

At 6/24/03 10:35 AM, SpEeDFiReSrFr wrote:
I agree with Nailbomb on the first thing, but the thing you wrote about the anthrax was a bit much. It had to do with terrorism, which most people watch the news for nowadays.

Again, that was all overhyped crap to get viewres to watch their brand of news. Anthrax has a 20% fatality rate.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd...0the%20symptoms%20of%20anthrax

Do you know how many people died from Anthrax in their mailbox?

TWO

I'm sorry but you're way more likely to die from running with scissors than to breathe in deadly anthrax in your mailbox.

Wanna know why it was on every channel and was the most important even of the day? It was exciting and new, therefore it would bring in more ratings for the TV stations.

Popenfresh, thanks for reminding of that Anthrax matter, I totaly forgot about that.

[D2Kvirus]

At 6/23/03 08:36 PM, Jimsween wrote: I dont know what you are talking about, I saw it one fox and cnbc.

So why isn't the story archived on their websites? Or reported in any of the UK papers? Or even given credence on ITN? Ever get the feeling I'm subtly saying "They're making this shit up"? Didn't even make the televised news here, just Ceefax - surely that gives the game away, and it's a face-saving exercise.

Anyway, the anthrax thing was just some nut in Florida or something, wasn't it?

By the way, when is someone going to bring up Kenya?

What about Kenya?

[bumcheekcity]

At 6/24/03 03:35 PM, D2KVirus wrote: Ever get the feeling I'm subtly saying "They're making this shit up"?

All the time. I reckon at lease 95% of what you hear on the news is twisted.

[Jimsween]

At 6/24/03 03:35 PM, D2KVirus wrote:

At 6/23/03 08:36 PM, Jimsween wrote: I dont know what you are talking about, I saw it one fox and cnbc.

So why isn't the story archived on their websites? Or reported in any of the UK papers? Or even given credence on ITN? Ever get the feeling I'm subtly saying "They're making this shit up"? Didn't even make the televised news here, just Ceefax - surely that gives the game away, and it's a face-saving exercise.

Anyway, the anthrax thing was just some nut in Florida or something, wasn't it?

By the way, when is someone going to bring up Kenya?

Are sure it wasnt in the archives? If it wasnt I can understand why, there isnt much to report about it. You can't show the movie or put too many excerps (if any) and we dont even know who the guy is, the only thing I could think they could reprt about is that there was a movie.

[D2Kvirus]

At 6/25/03 08:32 AM, Jimsween wrote:
Are sure it wasnt in the archives? If it wasnt I can understand why, there isnt much to report about it. You can't show the movie or put too many excerps (if any) and we dont even know who the guy is, the only thing I could think they could reprt about is that there was a movie.

After trying with "al-Queda" (and numerous variations) and "terrorism", and turning up no leads whatsoever, not even in text format (where they should have been at least one report archived), something says it was swept under the carpet.

Who cares if liberated Afghanistan is run by drug lords and liberated Kuwait is run by a dictator reistalled by America?

[D2Kvirus]

At 6/25/03 02:35 PM, nailbomb wrote: Who cares if liberated Afghanistan is run by drug lords and liberated Kuwait is run by a dictator reistalled by America?

The local populations do, but what do their opinions matter to anybody?

At 6/26/03 02:58 PM, D2KVirus wrote:

The local populations do, but what do their opinions matter to anybody?

Here's my theory, if voting really changed things, it woudl be illegal.

[PsychoDoughboy]

As mentioned earlier, SARS is hardly even worse than the flu. The only difference is that it can rapidly spread through almost every carrier route.