6 Subtle Ways The News Media Disguises Bullshit As Fact

This post here is a bit propagandy, sayin they arent trying to brainwash us. now that might not be their straight up intentions, but it might be worded something like 'we want them to think what we tell them'

i rarely watch the idiot box unless there is a good movie or something funny on

Cracked is hilarious. The art of BS and bias detection in the news is a delicate thing that requires practice. Except in the case of FOX or prisonplanet, of course.

If it requires aggressive coercion, it is bullshit!

Most of these are covering in logical fallacies useful for any debate:

#6 Weasel Words or Unsubstantiated source is called the Fallacy of Hearsay.

#5 Implied without Saying or assuming evidence not stated is called Begging the Question.

#4 Burying Facts is loosely associated with Fallacy of Exclusion or Cherry Picking. This violated the Principle of Total Evidence.

It might also be associated with Misleading Statistics as well: ie "40% of worker absenteeism occurs on Monday or Friday." Of course it does and it is perfectly normal as there are 5 work days in the week, each being 20% of the total work week, ergo Mondays should have 20% absenteeism as normal as would Fridays, both together equalling 40%.

#3 Biased Photos. This is the graphic form of Appeal to Biased Authority. "Coke Executive says that Coke is the best of all soft drinks."

It may also be a form of Abusive ad Hominem or Personal Attack as well when used to make the person look bad or sinister. The right uses labels like "liberal" as an insult but we should all embrace what is a very positive term that has advance human development into the present. Note to the Tea-Party: the Founding Fathers were the Liberals of their day. Conservatives were Loyalist and known as Tories.

#2 Active Voice. In debate this could be included in Fallacy of Ambiguity: "Save soap and waste paper." or Fallacy of Accent: "It is illegal to give away FREE BEER." or "The Captain was sober today."

#1 Guessing Motives not Facts. Is a Hypothesis Contrary to Facts: "If Einstein was aborted we would not have E=mc2. Not true per se because someone else may have come up with that knowledge on their own. We have no evidence of its truthfulness or as Stephen Colbert would say "truthiness."

If you are interested in making valid, logical and factual points, it is good to study all the dozens of Logical Fallacies. The slingers of insult need not bother.

have you ever noticed how some stations, particularly Fox will take a story like this made up example ( today, in any town USA, teachers held a march asking for smaller class sizes ) they will end the sometimes fact based report with a question like this at a bit higher volume and more intense voice or graphics just before going to break, ( does the Obama administration support teacher walkouts and violent union thuggery ?? ),,, thereby placing a negative point in the mind of the viewer-- they do this all the time,,,, we are being brainwashed by corporate owned media

Thx bb for this timely thread.

Based on some of the comments left by strong defenders of Foxite/Beckite/Republican hyperbole, the information in this article 'could' help them understand WHY they are so hmm, twisted.

Refer: crunchynuts comments

An Amusing and informative article. Good post.

hey dont forget the "many people....." scam. circumstential evidence and amazing lack of causality are definetly another tool they use to enslave our mind. welcome to the information (oxymoron in this case) war

Great post.....

I've seen this going on for years and years now. The problem is the folks, and we all know them, who so desparately want and struggle to be ignorant sheep. And, don't get me started on their shepherd either!

“As anybody who has ever wistfully imagined Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly fighting to the death over a pit of lava knows . . .“

Well, for me it’s more like imagining Keith fighting his way out of a pit of steamy shit and coming through the other side, clean, unscattered and victorious.

As for “Usually it's not part of anybody's grand scheme to brainwash you . . .”

Just throw a rock at Fox programming schedule and if it doesn’t land on a slot with an asshole trying to brainwash the feeble-minded I say you’re either a bad shot or your TV isn’t turned on (or you broke it with the rock!)

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[current background noise: Bob Marley – Brain Washing

Great article!

There's is an even better way to spin the news that takes no effort at all. Don't cover it or limit the coverage. The latest and best examples are Wisconsin, Ohio, and Arizona.

and where do some prefer to get their news??

The Daily Show
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Daily Show

The Daily Show, known in its current incarnation as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998. Jon Stewart took over as host in January 1999, bringing a number of changes to the show's content. Under Stewart, The Daily Show has become more strongly focused on politics and the national media, in contrast with the more pop culture focus during Kilborn's tenure.
Describing itself as a fake news program, The Daily Show draws its comedy and satire from recent news stories, political figures, media organizations, and often, aspects of the show itself. The show typically opens with a long monologue from Jon Stewart relating to recent headlines and frequently features exchanges with one or more of several correspondents, who adopt absurd or humorously exaggerated takes on current events against Stewart's straight man persona. The final segment is devoted to a celebrity interview, with guests ranging from actors and musicians to nonfiction authors and political figures.

*************it must be the hand puppets

Excellent post!

Very informative! It made me realise I've seen these tricks used in places it never occurred to me before. Thanks; knowledge is good!

All these ways are used by the corporate media to slant their message. Thanks for posting this, bundlebear.

Good primer for the uninitiated. People need to view that sausage making process that is the manipulation and mutilation of information by what passes for news organizations.