Local news programs are major contributors to our culture's stable trend towards lameness, that has yet to falter during my lifetime. I'm compelled to note two exceptions: the arrival of crotch rockets and the 2 elections of Obama. Hi-Tech can suck my balls. Back to local news...
They're so hungry for compelling stories and desperate to prove they're an indispensable asset, that Local news programs are major contributors to our culture's stable trend towards lameness, that has yet to falter during my lifetime. I'm compelled to note two exceptions: the arrival of crotch rockets and the 2 elections of Obama. Hi-Tech can suck my balls. Back to local news...
They're so hungry for compelling stories and desperate to prove they're an indispensable asset, that they vilify behavior without cause and will promote any capitalist endeavor they can spin as a "good cause" story, regardless of true merit. This reporting of nonexistent stories and similar hyperbole are driving forces behind gated communities full of cookie cutter houses and lame playgrounds, bicycle helmets, seatbelt laws, and .08 dui limits. A self-satisfied, coddling culture, worthy of the world's disgust.
Side thought: cop cams not only discourages abuse, it also discourages acts of reasonable leniency. In the 80's (in my white, upper-middle class, privileged experience) cops frequently disposed of contraband found in cooperative, nonviolent encounters, then gave an intimidating warning and broke up the party without making arrests. You think they'll exercise such reasonable discretion when there'll be a video record of them failing to enforce a law? When ensuring the honesty of an authority has any negative consequences it is the result of a systemic flaw. Back to local news...
The over reporting of generosity gives the impression to the public that the have nots are getting ample assistance to improve their lot, and the haves' generosity is abundant and people generally give a shit about each other's welfare. Really, everything's just fine down at the shelter.
Here are the two stories that made me leave the room and spawned this rant:
A recent HS grad drowned this week in a nearby lake (not Mead).. The story was that he and friends had gone there to cliff dive. Jumping off cliffs into a lake is one of the most joyful memories I have of good, clean fun with my friends. When I heard the story, I anxiously awaited the details to see if another youth adventure was going to be labeled too dangerous to be allowed by responsible parents. It was revealed that he was just swimming to a higher cliff when he began to struggle and drowned. They never gave a reason for his difficulties. I assume they were afraid of accusations of racist stereotyping if they were to report that a black boy drowned because he couldn't swim. Nonetheless I was relieved his death wasn't due to cliff diving. Although the headline and repeated references to cliff diving certainly implied it was the cause. A kid's death due to his own incompetence in a relatively benign act must be a bit too real and dull to report accurately. Thus, the true circumstances were only mentioned once, without emphasis. To drive home that he could have died in a much more sensational manner, they repeatedly referred to the irrelevant fact that the kids were jumping into water from heights greater than 3 feet and closed the story by quoting this year's death count (8) due to cliff diving. All of this in spite of cliff diving being nothing more than an irrelevant detail. Just another example of a black male, performing below par. It is also evidence that young black men can die without being shot by cops. In fact he might be alive today if police had been around to enforce the no cliff diving law. Hmm, maybe young black men are just fated to die?
The second story was a week prior. They were revisiting a story about a cute little girl that got hit by s car while trick or treating, the remarkable medical feats which saved her life, and the girl's resilience in recovery. Evidently the mother is publishing her diary of her daughter's recovery.. The reporting of the release and signing event was justified by the acts of kindness motivating the affair.:
1. A local author was generously helping the mother by co-releasing her new book and also doing signings.
2. For a whole year, one dollar of every book sale will be given to the medical personnel that provided the extensive care for her daughter without charge.
The reality:
1. The local author helping is just a friend that wrote an unrelated book and is trying to ride her buddy's coat tails.
2. We're talking about giving $1 of a $20 sale price as if it's the prime motivation for publishing the book. Plus, limiting the donation period to one year because a continuous commitment would be just too much of a long term pain in the ass...
I'm not indicating any fault in the part of the two women. I applaud their efforts. The altruistic spin on what are really self serving business endeavors is smart marketing. What I'm criticizing is the bullshit reporting.
In tired of typing on my phone...
Don't forget to help out by leaving your COMMENTS, g+1 (assuming you like this stuff), and SUBSCRIBING! Thanks for reading!
They're so hungry for compelling stories and desperate to prove they're an indispensable asset, that Local news programs are major contributors to our culture's stable trend towards lameness, that has yet to falter during my lifetime. I'm compelled to note two exceptions: the arrival of crotch rockets and the 2 elections of Obama. Hi-Tech can suck my balls. Back to local news...
They're so hungry for compelling stories and desperate to prove they're an indispensable asset, that they vilify behavior without cause and will promote any capitalist endeavor they can spin as a "good cause" story, regardless of true merit. This reporting of nonexistent stories and similar hyperbole are driving forces behind gated communities full of cookie cutter houses and lame playgrounds, bicycle helmets, seatbelt laws, and .08 dui limits. A self-satisfied, coddling culture, worthy of the world's disgust.
Side thought: cop cams not only discourages abuse, it also discourages acts of reasonable leniency. In the 80's (in my white, upper-middle class, privileged experience) cops frequently disposed of contraband found in cooperative, nonviolent encounters, then gave an intimidating warning and broke up the party without making arrests. You think they'll exercise such reasonable discretion when there'll be a video record of them failing to enforce a law? When ensuring the honesty of an authority has any negative consequences it is the result of a systemic flaw. Back to local news...
The over reporting of generosity gives the impression to the public that the have nots are getting ample assistance to improve their lot, and the haves' generosity is abundant and people generally give a shit about each other's welfare. Really, everything's just fine down at the shelter.
Here are the two stories that made me leave the room and spawned this rant:
A recent HS grad drowned this week in a nearby lake (not Mead).. The story was that he and friends had gone there to cliff dive. Jumping off cliffs into a lake is one of the most joyful memories I have of good, clean fun with my friends. When I heard the story, I anxiously awaited the details to see if another youth adventure was going to be labeled too dangerous to be allowed by responsible parents. It was revealed that he was just swimming to a higher cliff when he began to struggle and drowned. They never gave a reason for his difficulties. I assume they were afraid of accusations of racist stereotyping if they were to report that a black boy drowned because he couldn't swim. Nonetheless I was relieved his death wasn't due to cliff diving. Although the headline and repeated references to cliff diving certainly implied it was the cause. A kid's death due to his own incompetence in a relatively benign act must be a bit too real and dull to report accurately. Thus, the true circumstances were only mentioned once, without emphasis. To drive home that he could have died in a much more sensational manner, they repeatedly referred to the irrelevant fact that the kids were jumping into water from heights greater than 3 feet and closed the story by quoting this year's death count (8) due to cliff diving. All of this in spite of cliff diving being nothing more than an irrelevant detail. Just another example of a black male, performing below par. It is also evidence that young black men can die without being shot by cops. In fact he might be alive today if police had been around to enforce the no cliff diving law. Hmm, maybe young black men are just fated to die?
The second story was a week prior. They were revisiting a story about a cute little girl that got hit by s car while trick or treating, the remarkable medical feats which saved her life, and the girl's resilience in recovery. Evidently the mother is publishing her diary of her daughter's recovery.. The reporting of the release and signing event was justified by the acts of kindness motivating the affair.:
1. A local author was generously helping the mother by co-releasing her new book and also doing signings.
2. For a whole year, one dollar of every book sale will be given to the medical personnel that provided the extensive care for her daughter without charge.
The reality:
1. The local author helping is just a friend that wrote an unrelated book and is trying to ride her buddy's coat tails.
2. We're talking about giving $1 of a $20 sale price as if it's the prime motivation for publishing the book. Plus, limiting the donation period to one year because a continuous commitment would be just too much of a long term pain in the ass...
I'm not indicating any fault in the part of the two women. I applaud their efforts. The altruistic spin on what are really self serving business endeavors is smart marketing. What I'm criticizing is the bullshit reporting.
In tired of typing on my phone...
Don't forget to help out by leaving your COMMENTS, g+1 (assuming you like this stuff), and SUBSCRIBING! Thanks for reading!
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