London
"Across-the-pond" update: Switched on the news when I (finally) got in to hear LA's new mayor describing how LAX and other major bodies in LA are on alert (along with all the major cities in the US).
First thought: didn't see any signs of it myself. Second thought: wouldn't notice it anyway, the police here carry guns all the time. scaring the hell out of me (also still not used to seeing London police with projectile weapons). Third thought: anything to keep the populace scared and under control, eh? (TinFoil hat™ (curious hamster).) Fourth thought: I wish I hadn't moved here. abc has opportunistically scheduled an entire evening of "prime-time live" continuously showing footage of the seriously injured and bringing on "security consultants" who kept saying "I told you so" and generally trying to pour scorn on what I think was an excellent response by London's emergency services and its hardy population. I'm very uneasy about the response over here. I'm convinced there is a clear-thinking majority here, however the mainstream media is just full of scare-mongering propaganda presented as "analysis". I don't like the spin, nor the packaging. Nor the "selling" of news as stories, and not facts.
I was very impressed by the way New Yorkers carried on living their lives after the bombing of the towers. Just as I'm convinced Londoners will pull through, sticking two fingers at those who wish them unwarranted harm. Which makes me mad (as predicted earlier) that such suffering is being exploited by the TV networks here. I have no objections to seeing images of victims of the bombings, but only with their permission, g'dammit. And I sure as hell don't like the way some are calling this a good "wake-up call". Piss off to whatever windowless hole you live in, creeps.
Robin Grant has started/picked up on (not sure which yet, and I'm too tired to check) a meme (via curious hamster).
7 comments:
whatever you do, stay away from fox news cable channel. i believe their slogan is something like "fair and balanced"™, but you'll probably find they are not. the news on the non-cable channels is the equivalent of the british tabloids, i think public television is your best bet, but not continuous (kcet-channel 3?) or of the "big three", cbs (channel 2) might be the least lurid, but i'm not sure as i've stopped watching network news. the media is completely exploitative overall. your best bet is to find bbc radio or national public radio news (kcrw 89.9fm or kpcc 89.3fmm). of the cable stations, cnn has been carrying the ITV feed, msnbc has the SKYnews feed, and of course there is BBC worldwide.
"...the mainstream media is just full of scare-mongering propaganda presented as "analysis"..."
From over here, it looks like Fox is by far the worst culprit.
Bloggerheads has more on Fox News "fair and balanced" reporting. They really are in a league of their own.
The London response was magnificent how well organised procedures went like the teams of doctors who were on the scene well within the critical first hour. The people too just seemed to take it so well and calmly.
Fox are, quite simply, scum. They revel in death and are there just to press the buttons of a group of racist ignorant jingoists that should have been left back in the first half of the 20th century. Fair and balanced is classic double-think.
BBC, the Independent, and the Guardian.
Sorry for the late replies... Computer on the blink.
>Santos
I had the unfortunate experience of watching Fox, abd and CNN. I don't think I stopped shouting at the poor telly. What would I do without the Beeb and all the other online news agencies?
>badly dubbed boy
Too right. Could be called hardiness or self-centerdness. Or just Londoners being Londoners.
>curious hamster
Many sighs. Fair and balanced, my arse.
The same could be said about the Sun or the Daily Mail (the Guardian is not exempt from this either), but at least they disclose their political alliance, which is a useful crib sheet of how big a pinch of salt one should take.
>anthony
He's your countryman. Can't you folks do something about him? And while you're at it, could you take back Lynton Crosby too? Much obliged...
Nope.
Rupert's officially been an American citizen (corporate reasons) since 1985.
Lynton Crosby is officially a one-trick race baiting idiot.
Will however take back uhmmmm Jeebus, do we have anybody good anywhere else these days?
as i said, it is possible for american news sources to be relatively fair, without all the shouting and pretty faces. try national public radio as a source--(i listed two stations above), along with public television (kcet).
>santos
Heh... :) I'm kinda enjoying ranting at the TV... (no one else to speak to at night) I don't wish to give the wrong impression about American news coverage. It's not all bad. (Kinda like the UK and everywhere else, it has it's utter [bad word]s as well as other better, impartial news agencies.) But I'm "loving" the way news can be "sold" to "consumers". I'll tire of it soon, and switch to the better guys. ;)
>anthony
Call me stupid, but who's Jeebus? (I am *so* out of touch...)
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