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Michael Crichton's 1993 prediction of mass-media extinction now looks on target


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By Jack Shafer// Slate Magazine

(Excerpt from main article)

"The biggest change is that contemporary media has shifted from fact to opinion and speculation. You can watch cable news all day and never hear anything except questions like, 'How much will the Rev. Wright hurt Obama's chances?' 'Is Hillary now looking toward 2012?' 'How will McCain overcome the age argument?' These are questions for which there are endless answers. Contentious hosts on cable shows keep the arguments rolling," he says.

Crichton believes that we live in an age of conformity much more confining than the 1950s in which he grew up. Instead of showing news consumers how to approach controversy coolly and intelligently, the media partake of the zealotry and intolerance of many of the advocates they cover. He attributes the public's interest in Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to its hunger for a wider range of viewpoints than the mass media provide.

He tosses out a basket of questions he'd like to see the press tackle, some of which I've seen covered. "What happened at Bear Stearns?" got major play this week, after Crichton answered my questions, in a Wall Street Journal series. And I know I've seen "How much of the current price of gas can be attributed to the weak dollar?" answered a couple of times but can't remember where. (Answer: a lot.) But such Crichton questions as "Why have hedge funds evaded government regulation?" and what specific lifestyle changes will every American have to make "to reduce CO2 emissions by 60 percent?" would be great assignments for news desks.

"I want a news service that tells me what no one knows but is true nonetheless," he says.

-----

Full story at link.
http://www.slate.com/id/2192382/pagenum/all/
Hawkmang

41 responses // Michael Crichton's 1993 prediction of mass-media extinction now looks on target

  • Comment on Current.com : Bring Down the Media.

    Sounds good to me.
    mako2424
  • I am ready for Mass Extinction of Mass Media.

    Viva La Revolucion!
    jubal
    1 response to this
  • @Hawkmang.... thanks for the excellent post.... it underscores why sometimes i'm very lonesome here...

    critical thinking died somewhere in the 70s or 80s, and shows no signs of rebirth [or resurrection]... :)

    thanks, again!
    plusaf
    2 responses to this
  • Maybe the "Fourth Branch of Government" should be a non-profit organization accountable to its audience. That might help.
    uglycasanova10
  • thanks for the post..excellent..thanks for current!
    WorldPeaceTV
    1 response to this
  • Excellent Post Hawkmang ! The problem is that most people have a very short attention span and they forget about little jems like these. Thanks for the reminder. Turns out he was right.
    Enjoy_Cannabis
    1 response to this
  • great post. american media needs a major change if it wants this country to survive. i think Current is helping to turn media in the right direction.
    rekhaleaf
    1 response to this
  • The more you discuss with your friends and family about the mass media is a joke the more the idea will spread and people will begin to see for themselves. Keep it up people!
    Scudettostarved
  • Exactly. If you want the latest news on what Lindsey Lohan or Brittney Spears tune into CNN, HNN, FOXNews, MSNBC, etc...
    They seem to care only about ratings and not the real news.
    Tommyboy420
  • I think the reason the media can't be honest because that would offend way to many people and there ratings would plumit. If the media said what they say about Iraq today they would have suffered in the ratings and the producers would be burned at the stakes. The only reason they can talk about it now is because now its a majority of the publics opinion.
    200131294
  • PC world has created this pool of news that a select few find annoying. So much whining about hurt feelings and leave my group alone leave the news with only stars and politicians to talk about.

    If people didn't care so much about how people felt after the truth was spoken the news would be far better.
    J_Jammer
  • Its a rare thing to find myself involved in political or environmental discussion with my peers. I find thier views often shocking. Within the past few weeks I have learned from these discussions that Obama is a terrorist and will not say the pledge to the flag, I have learned if we continue to grow crops for fuel we will starve and eventualy destroy the gulf sea, I have learned "Billary" intends to sell America to the UN.
    I never watch main stream news but I am so dismayed at how many people will take a soundbite and repeat it as truth.
    Howard Stern and Bill O'Riley have the same job description. Do whatever it takes to sell adds.
    1779fleet
  • Excellent post Hawkmang
    Eirianallt
    1 response to this
  • ...and then there was Current TV.
    TyMarshal
  • Let's just keep it the way it is. It would be cool to have some sort of vow that Current will keep being the odd one out. I wouldn't want to lose it to the powerful fingers that are trying to dip into everything and trying to dam the flow of info.
    J_Jammer
  • People are starting to wake up to the mass media manipulation of what gets posted on TV radio and the press but i have yet to be convinced about currrent
    cubbingabout
  • the american media is nearly completely controlled by a handful of mega conglomerate corporations. its no surprise that they have hidden agendas and its no surprise that they don't cover the real issues. it seems like Keith Olbermann is one of the only people on television that is actually doing anything to hold the bush administration accountable for their sins.
    diabolical44
  • Keith Olbermann is the Bill O'Reilly for Democrats.
    Saber2011
  • I am new at Current and what I have seen is great. I am 61 years old and am a microelectronics research engineer who is selling mobile homes. Technological transfer to China is why I am selling mobile homes. The news media, the propaganda arm of the internationalists, is why we are losing our autonomy and identity in the USA. The current media, neo-cons, and internationalists, I hope, will suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs. I have great hope that the young people, of the USA, will use this and other mediums to get news to the people of this country that affect them in their everyday pursuit of the American dream.
    I have researched the economics behind the international effort to make this world one big happy marketplace for them for over 25 years. I will expose some of my findings here if there is interest. Just so you know, I am not a conspiracy theorist but verify my data before I write about it. I have been a frequent guest on talk radio and publish essays on my findings.
    Current.com keep up the good work, we need outlets like yours for the whole true not the filtered truth, thanks.
    Electron1
    1 response to this
  • Media = WHITE COLLAR COMMUNISM
    silverex87
  • http://www.crichton-official.com/speech-alienscauseglob...
    Too bad Crichton's batshit insane on the issue of global warming if I remember correctly.

    Even if he weren't, you'll forgive me if I'm done giving half a mouse fart about what the Very Important Media Peoples' opinions are on just about anything. It's time we start realizing ALL OF OUR OPINIONS matter when it comes to the direction of this country. I'd say my political foresight and accuracy was better than at least 80% of all the 'professional' opinion makers who make more money in a year than I'll see in my lifetime. Of course, I had a lot of company here in the looney blogosphere.
    beedee
  • I am always interested in current and I am glad that this is a place of good ideas and good conversation. but, I am so very glad of the information that is being placed here by all of you. Hawkmang this was great to read. I only wish that there were more people who would take a stance about the media propaganda out there for the masses.
    cibalin
  • watch this comment being used here, here and here
    The media is more opinion than fact, and thats a fact. We look to our peers, neighbors and media to gather opinion so we can form a view.

    Should I think this, they rather i didnt say that, is this right or is that wrong. It almost like a plot from a futuristic 1950s movie

    Crichtons observation is good but what is Current.com about ?
    Purdey
  • Trouble is purdey most people are too busy being distracted by things like Big brother, celeb articles, fashion and meaningless fodder to form opinions other than what they are told by the mass media
    cubbingabout
  • The Net won't kill mass-media much like computers didn't kill paper.

    The Net and the traditional media coexist. And one is worse than the other simply because both are created by humans.
    stardate
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9FaIyc4vpU
    Charlie Brooker let's someone else do the talking for him here, but when that someone else is Adam Curtis you can't blame him. Take it away Adam...
    dearmat23
  • "[T]he American media produce a product of very poor quality," he lectured. "Its information is not reliable, it has too much chrome and glitz, its doors rattle, it breaks down almost immediately, and it's sold without warranty. It's flashy but it's basically junk."
    Rostam
  • Broadcast Media News is supposed to be a presentation of facts as they come in without opinion, leaving the public to discern and decide from what's been offered. Entertainment should never have become anything more than a short segment. Cable changed the rules.
    huntre
  • I'm all for the exit from mass media, though we all should remind ourselves that in this revolution of the media , we all should have a voice, because we all have different realities down these paths of truth. In debate of differences, let us not adapt to the behaviors of todays mass media with labeling (name calling), and sensorship of those of us, who the majority of us might have indifference with. The people not the press ( aka current.com) should always have a voice in what is of importance to the "front page".
    keithponder
  • If you listen to any mass media station, the sleeping sheep are told exactly what is important to them. So they can go their beds at night and sleep without nightmares, and go to their jobs the next day and have purpose without fear they'll have everything nice and tidy when they get home. If the real news got out to the masses it would ruin alot of theses daydreamers and their version of the american dream. Life without conflict!
    cibalin
  • Yep. We need news without pundits.
    currenton
  • i need news made without consideration of whether or not I'll buy the products advertised in between brief snippets of fake news often manufactured by the administration. I'm not going to buy anything that i don't need and my needs are small. that's why I get most of my information from the internet, or books (i know, how quaint). it's easier to ignore advertising on the internet as long as it doesn't start yelling at you too much.
    spoonieday
  • @currenton... but there's obviously no market for that, or the pundits would be starving and real reporting would be taking over...

    i put this on my website... http://www.plusaf.com/newspapers.htm and MANY of my friends and neighbors with whom i've shared the link agree strongly with me...

    but none of the writers or editors of my local [state capital] newspaper replied, except one....

    and his comment: please only write me if you want to comment on one of my articles.

    i can't use the words in this public arena which would express my reaction to his reply.

    can you?
    plusaf