I hate to say it but life was so much better when the only news source was mainstream media

[Seahawks Fan]

I hate to admit it but it's true, life was so much better when people could basically only get the news by reading the paper, watching network or cable news, or listening to the radio. There were way fewer people who believed batshit crazy things when the only news sources were mainstream. Now almost everyone I encounter will have some weird ass conspiracy they believe in. Case in point: my mom believes that the real purpose of Elon Musk's neuralink device will be to serve as a government surveillance tool that will allow it to read your thoughts and generate a social score for each individual. I told her it was bullshit so she sent me a link on Facebook to some wild ass conspiracy group and it just blew my mind that she couldn't come to the conclusion that it was fake news. Something's gotta change.

 

[Whippy McGee]

If you're a drone... sure.

 

[JoeyJoeJoeJr]

This is a really bad take. Western media lies about almost everything. We need alternative sources to receive more accurate information about the reality of what's going on in the world. Unless you want nothing but propaganda, you need these alternative sources.

 

[jeff7b9]

Yeah. That's crazy. Like... the government and online media platforms would never engage in mass surveillance of people.

Thankfully government is entirely trustworthy and altruistic and mainstream media never engages in any intentionally misleading agendas and the news isn't just a bunch of scripted horseshit used to dumb down the masses to a hypnotized basically retarded state.





If there is one thing in this world you can count on, it it is integrity and honesty of mainstream media.

 

[jeff7b9]

This is a really bad take. Western media lies about almost everything. We need alternative sources to receive more accurate information about the reality of what's going on in the world. Unless you want nothing but propaganda, you need these alternative sources.

Oddly enough I have noticed that there actually are a decent amount of people that are happier to be told what to think and then confidently believe they are right about all the things because they have all the viewpoints that the propaganda told them to think.

My in laws are like this. They have one of the MSNBC CNN type stations on 24/7 and every single viewpoint and political stance is what the TV tells them to think. I observe them talking with other family members at holidays and they are happy as pigs in shit discussing politics and agreeing about everything.

 

[Contempt]

Oddly enough I have noticed that there actually are a decent amount of people that are happier to be told what to think and then confidently believe they are right about all the things because they have all the viewpoints that the propaganda told them to think.

My in laws are like this. They have one of the MSNBC CNN type stations on 24/7 and every single viewpoint and political stance is what the TV tells them to think. I observe them talking with other family members at holidays and they are happy as pigs in shit discussing politics and agreeing about everything.

Insert Matrix references here <--

 

[TheTickG]

I hate to admit it but it's true, life was so much better when people could basically only get the news by reading the paper, watching network or cable news, or listening to the radio. There were way fewer people who believed batshit crazy things when the only news sources were mainstream. Now literally almost anyone I encounter will weird ass conspiracy they believe in. Case in point: my mom believes the Elon Musk's neuralink device's real purpose will be to serve as a government surveillance device that will allow it to read your thoughts and generate a social score for each individual. I told her it was bullshit so she sent me a link on Facebook to some wild ass conspiracy group and it just blew my mind that she couldn't come to the conclusion that it was fake news. Something's gotta change.

If you follow the "conspiracies" long enough they eventually become mainstream news.

 

[DaleBoca]

Now we have the reports by lunatics who cry about “Mahhh Freedomz!!!!”

 

[Jack Reacheround]

Western media lies about almost everything.

That’s a ridiculous statement. They have lied about things. But most of the lying is done via omission of facts that give the facts they’re presenting proper context. That, and the fact that they omit stories altogether which are far more important than what they’re reporting. But they certainly don’t lie about almost everything.

Mainstream media is what it is. It’s news for those who only want a very surface level analysis of what is going on. The problem with independent media is that it is often not credible at all. They do lie all the time, by omitting important context, omitting important stories, and just by flat out lying which is usually done under the guise of an editorial take.
That said, if you find credible independent news sources, they are very, very good, and often cover important stories and topics.

 

[GSP_37]

The TV today just showed this hillbilly parade and all these people were poor, likely uneducated, and you can guess the rest. Makes me think their economy and personal wealth situation is pure shit because they were too stupid to begin with. They had pimped up lifted trucks and then complained they can't afford gasoline.

They were throwing toilet paper rolls and hard objects towards kids and none of them had safety glasses on.

 

[THEfightsAREfixed]

Rather than a bunch of different bat-shit crazy ideas to pursue, let's all just go with the same one all the time.

Talk about boring.... no thx

 

[Brutus.......]

I think there were issues with mainstream media, and always will be, but it was useful if you had a modicum of critical thinking skills.

I think historically, until maybe the 90s, most mainstream news was fairly reliable, and not overtly politically biased, and most journalists were the same (or a least a lot were more objective). The rise of right wing radio and Fox News changed the landscape forever. And not for the better. They weaponized news and everyone followed suit.

 

[VulcanNervPinch]

I hate to admit it but it's true, life was so much better when people could basically only get the news by reading the paper, watching network or cable news, or listening to the radio. There were way fewer people who believed batshit crazy things when the only news sources were mainstream. Now literally almost anyone I encounter will weird ass conspiracy they believe in. Case in point: my mom believes the Elon Musk's neuralink device's real purpose will be to serve as a government surveillance device that will allow it to read your thoughts and generate a social score for each individual. I told her it was bullshit so she sent me a link on Facebook to some wild ass conspiracy group and it just blew my mind that she couldn't come to the conclusion that it was fake news. Something's gotta change.

There's no doubt about it.

Batshit crazy nonsense spread by true believers or by shameless liars with a purpose is through the roof in the last 10-20 years.
The percentage of people who have no ability to assess someone else's credibility is staggering.

Punishment for those who purposefully lie is slow and feeble.

That has to change or the nation will collapse.

 

[Sweater of AV]

I think there were issues with mainstream media, and always will be, but it was useful if you had a modicum of critical thinking skills.

I think historically, until maybe the 90s, most mainstream news was fairly reliable, and not overtly politically biased, and most journalists were the same (or a least a lot were more objective). The rise of right wing radio and Fox News changed the landscape forever. And not for the better. They weaponized news and everyone followed suit.

Pretty much this. Mainstream media had some bias in those days but if you could think for yourself it was pretty easy to get a general picture of what was going on.

Also, news outlets rarely had mistakes, misprints etc and there was a much stronger emphasis on at least trying to get things right. These days there are so many errors in everything from basic spelling to the most important details of stories. People just want to get the dumbest things out as fast as possible because people can't keep their faces off their phones and need constant "news entertainment."

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

I'm glad that we have multiple outlets for world events. It helps to get different perspectives and to get access to news that our governments may not want us to see.

However, I believe that it's become a lot harder to escape the news, so we're becoming more miserable, scared and jaded about life. We can't just switch off the TV anymore. The medias reach is far longer than before, with the use of smartphones and the internet.

I also believe that identity politics hasn't decreased, but changed and become more effective. People take sides and those sides deal more with slogans and insults than actually debating. People go one way because they don't want to be seen as the caricature of a member of the other side.

It's a lot harder to be a free thinker if they let you think that you are.

 

[SakurabasEar]

I understand running back to the blue pill after 10 years of absurdity. We all make choices in life. I hope you enjoy morning joe

 

[lsa]

When the "alternative" news are posts on tiktok, Instagram or other social media..
Yeah thats a no from me.
People are way too fast to swallow anything as facts and truth as long as it vibes with their beliefs.

Growing up, and that was before internet, we had to go to a thing call a library to read.
We was taught a thing called " source critics" which means to check and check again the sources that claimed things.

 

[Van Daz]

I hate to admit it but it's true, life was so much better when people could basically only get the news by reading the paper, watching network or cable news, or listening to the radio. There were way fewer people who believed batshit crazy things when the only news sources were mainstream. Now almost everyone I encounter will have some weird ass conspiracy they believe in. Case in point: my mom believes that the real purpose of Elon Musk's neuralink device will be to serve as a government surveillance tool that will allow it to read your thoughts and generate a social score for each individual. I told her it was bullshit so she sent me a link on Facebook to some wild ass conspiracy group and it just blew my mind that she couldn't come to the conclusion that it was fake news. Something's gotta change.

Yeah, I'd love to go back to only 2 channels to watch, the radio & Atari...not!

News & stories are just more accessible nowadays & there's a shit load more BS associated. Some people just want to believe what they want to. Take Trump supporters for example.

 

[jimbob27]

I remember back in the day people used to say "don't believe everything you hear on TV".

For some reason that hasn't translated across online, as every conspiracy theorist I see seems to blindly believe something they heard in a youtube video (which they usually can't find when asked).

 

[TheBlondBomber]

Now we have the reports by lunatics who cry about “Mahhh Freedomz!!!!”

You act like freedom isn't something to cry about.