Another gem: "....the news here in Substacklandia of late..."
Another disappointment: NPR's refusal to admit its left-leaning bias.
A savvy (and the new) CEO would have simply pledged to redress the imbalance while explaining she was unconscious of it.
Too late. Her scathing denunciation of NRP's critic means it has gone ever closer to the infamous "Edge" of thoughts where, whether right or left, are found dark realms of rigid intolerance
For the most part, people don't want the truth if it does not fit their current religious walk. Religion includes the fastest growing new 'ism' of Woke and Progressive.
Progressive Woke'ites have come full circle and now eat their own. No longer is a male whom is attracted to another male called gay. Under the new doctrine all such males are really females trapped in male bodies. No longer are similarly attracted females lesbians, instead they were born into the wrong bodies. Gender is fluid or at least as fluid as surgery and delusional thinking can muster.
Religion in general is a choosing a particular fantasy. Faith is counterproductive to knowing, and knowing is worthless if it does not include understanding and making connections.
NPR and the legacy media exist to confirm what their audience already believes is true, they keep the faith will a constant feedback loop. The same is true of conservative media, tell them what they want to hear and you'll sell soap and get good ratings. Tell the unvarnished truth and you'll be boycotted and labeled a heretic.
Truth is irrefutable, and unassailable the reason it is so rarely spoken.
Truly important that we don’t fall into the abyss of critical observation ( which You do non-pareil) without thinking about and articulating the alternative way forward.
“Berliner cited research from a Harris Poll, which found that only “3-in-10 audience members familiar with NPR said they associate NPR with the characteristic ‘trustworthy.’”
I find this “30%” stat quite interesting. Regardless of the topic being addressed, it seems that 30% will believe anything that reeks of BS, no matter how outlandish or unbelievable it is.
“The truth is” ….. always relative to the perspective of the person offering it. Even “facts” are similar to “truth”….. one is required to take everything with a grain of salt until multiple sources verify. But who wants to do that when you can pick a source you are happy with!
This is a little off topic, Joel, but since you are planning on visiting Australia soon, I wonder if you’ll notice something I observed during a recent visit there. I took a tour from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and I noted that few, if any, national flags of Australia were flying anywhere. Not in front of public buildings, not at schools, nor in people’s yards or homes. Finally, as we crossed a bridge re-entering Sydney, a large Australian flag was flying at one end and a New Zealand flag at the other. I mentioned the dearth of Australia’s national flag being flown along our lengthy route to my tour guide. She said, “Well, there’s one on the bridge we just crossed.” I replied, “Well, yes, but that was practically the only one I’ve seen all day.” She took on an incredulous manner and then said, “Well you know, we’re not like you Americans. We don’t feel like we have to fly our flag everywhere.”
Since departing Australia, I’ve visited a good number of other countries around the world and guess what? They all display their national flags quite liberally. So, Australia seems to stand out to me in this regard. I’m curious if you’ll see what I saw, or did I just travel on a bad day for flying flags in Australia?
Almost everything detailed in the article could apply to the US' so-called "intelligence" agencies, especially as they have behaved across the last quarter-century. Will their behavior improve? Doubtful. But there might still be hope for NPR. All that would be needed is for Congress to require them to sell advertising instead of suck up to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's regular subsidies. Or as those within CPB call it, expense supports.
On the practical side of NPR and its funding: In this "Brave New US," having the dissenters fund the propaganda fountain as the "Brave New US" leaders squash the dissenters to nothing and finish off slaving their remaining middle and lower class proles, is a sound business plan. But what will the "Brave New" elites do when the debt shit hits the fan and they, the elites, are the only source of assets to pay it off? To whom will they pass the Conch, or had it already been destroyed??
p.s. Our congress does not currently ( directly ) fund any mainstream propaganda outlets. So why do we let them fund NPR? Oh, that's right, we have no say in the matter! We just pay taxes and vote!
Another gem: "....the news here in Substacklandia of late..."
Another disappointment: NPR's refusal to admit its left-leaning bias.
A savvy (and the new) CEO would have simply pledged to redress the imbalance while explaining she was unconscious of it.
Too late. Her scathing denunciation of NRP's critic means it has gone ever closer to the infamous "Edge" of thoughts where, whether right or left, are found dark realms of rigid intolerance
For the most part, people don't want the truth if it does not fit their current religious walk. Religion includes the fastest growing new 'ism' of Woke and Progressive.
Progressive Woke'ites have come full circle and now eat their own. No longer is a male whom is attracted to another male called gay. Under the new doctrine all such males are really females trapped in male bodies. No longer are similarly attracted females lesbians, instead they were born into the wrong bodies. Gender is fluid or at least as fluid as surgery and delusional thinking can muster.
Religion in general is a choosing a particular fantasy. Faith is counterproductive to knowing, and knowing is worthless if it does not include understanding and making connections.
NPR and the legacy media exist to confirm what their audience already believes is true, they keep the faith will a constant feedback loop. The same is true of conservative media, tell them what they want to hear and you'll sell soap and get good ratings. Tell the unvarnished truth and you'll be boycotted and labeled a heretic.
Truth is irrefutable, and unassailable the reason it is so rarely spoken.
Great missive.
Truly important that we don’t fall into the abyss of critical observation ( which You do non-pareil) without thinking about and articulating the alternative way forward.
Keep Going and Keep the Faith
Brian
My wife can somehow still stomach NPR’s “progressive” claptrap; I gave up years ago. To keep the peace, she listens with headphones.
Missed you yesterday, Joel!
I do hope you will keep us abreast of the doings in Argentina as you circle the globe.
Enjoy your missives and wish you safe travels!
You’ve just described the journalistic equivalent of Gresham’s law Joel, brilliant.
“Berliner cited research from a Harris Poll, which found that only “3-in-10 audience members familiar with NPR said they associate NPR with the characteristic ‘trustworthy.’”
I find this “30%” stat quite interesting. Regardless of the topic being addressed, it seems that 30% will believe anything that reeks of BS, no matter how outlandish or unbelievable it is.
“The truth is” ….. always relative to the perspective of the person offering it. Even “facts” are similar to “truth”….. one is required to take everything with a grain of salt until multiple sources verify. But who wants to do that when you can pick a source you are happy with!
Great article Joel, love the Sunday Sesh! Liars are spread throughout the political landscape on both sides of the aisle. Jim M
Another wonderful Sunday sesh. Glad to see my barstool was still available.
Your comment as being #25, I hope that is not a total of 26 only. Just pointing out that it is not a complete "analogy".
This is a little off topic, Joel, but since you are planning on visiting Australia soon, I wonder if you’ll notice something I observed during a recent visit there. I took a tour from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and I noted that few, if any, national flags of Australia were flying anywhere. Not in front of public buildings, not at schools, nor in people’s yards or homes. Finally, as we crossed a bridge re-entering Sydney, a large Australian flag was flying at one end and a New Zealand flag at the other. I mentioned the dearth of Australia’s national flag being flown along our lengthy route to my tour guide. She said, “Well, there’s one on the bridge we just crossed.” I replied, “Well, yes, but that was practically the only one I’ve seen all day.” She took on an incredulous manner and then said, “Well you know, we’re not like you Americans. We don’t feel like we have to fly our flag everywhere.”
Since departing Australia, I’ve visited a good number of other countries around the world and guess what? They all display their national flags quite liberally. So, Australia seems to stand out to me in this regard. I’m curious if you’ll see what I saw, or did I just travel on a bad day for flying flags in Australia?
Almost everything detailed in the article could apply to the US' so-called "intelligence" agencies, especially as they have behaved across the last quarter-century. Will their behavior improve? Doubtful. But there might still be hope for NPR. All that would be needed is for Congress to require them to sell advertising instead of suck up to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's regular subsidies. Or as those within CPB call it, expense supports.
On the practical side of NPR and its funding: In this "Brave New US," having the dissenters fund the propaganda fountain as the "Brave New US" leaders squash the dissenters to nothing and finish off slaving their remaining middle and lower class proles, is a sound business plan. But what will the "Brave New" elites do when the debt shit hits the fan and they, the elites, are the only source of assets to pay it off? To whom will they pass the Conch, or had it already been destroyed??
p.s. Our congress does not currently ( directly ) fund any mainstream propaganda outlets. So why do we let them fund NPR? Oh, that's right, we have no say in the matter! We just pay taxes and vote!
News media has changed from "News" to whose opinion to we want to read?
“Here is a woman who arrives at her desk each and every morning with a degree of certainty that would be the envy of the self-immolation community.”
Love it.