Unbiased Media as Watchdog of Democracy

I have an easy answer for that: the 1980s and music lovers. Sign me up and gimme some Aquanet! Add sci-fi and movies to that.

No argument there. Sad state but inevitable once the possibility was there.

Flock of Seagulls, Bro?

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Lol! Nah, more like Van Halen or Motley Crue

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[quote=“Mufasa, post:17, topic:220937”]
…DESPITE our imperfections; I personally would not want to live anywhere else in this screwed-up World
…[/quote]

That’s my claim.

If there were earlier times where you felt America was greater, stronger and freer, Verne; I certainly support your right to believe it.

The answer to the commercialization of our information-entertainment industry is reading books by people who bothered to spend years of their lives researching the topics you are interested in.

I think the reason investigative journalism has declined is because journalists are told reporting on politics like it is a sport means they are avoiding showing favoritism. But this means they aren’t reporting facts about the issues that might influence our views on policy, because that would be called bias. Unfortunately, while the day after the Superbowl who won the game really only matters to those making or losing money off it, in politics it really does matter which politicians are in there making policy.

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On that note we can agree!

The nations population as a whole

Freer yes the there were far fewer laws and regulations. Greater maybe not. Richer well that is proven. Wadges peaked in the late 1970s

Including all minorities? We were freer, richer?

From a legal and civil rights standpoint, possibly (post segregation and less regulation as a whole, which is I think Verne’s primary point).

Practically speaking in daily matters and police issues, likely not.

No comment on the ‘richer’ part, as the 70s were stagflation city and significant economic troubles

I think women that suffered gender bias, and African-Americans who suffered racial bias, would not agree that we were freer in the past. While we still have a great deal of work to do in civil rights and eliminating bias in America, we are far better today than any time in the past.

However, if one meant that European Americans, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, were better off in the past well, that would certainly be true too, wouldn’t it?

I think you’re misunderstanding what I said. I’m not arguing with that, as I mentioned above “practically speaking in daily matters…likely not”. Legally, however, all that was still prohibited. Verne I believe was speaking from a regulatory and gov’t size standpoint rather than cultural, and in that I am inclined towards agreeing with him.

I understood your point and we are, for the most part, in agreement. The only area in which we disagree is this statement,

I believe the original quote in context lends itself to a different interpretation. I believe you are being generous, but am wiling to admit that I may have been cynical.

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That would be a switch, I am normally a cynical bastard!

Fair play though.

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Without question, our lackluster participation in the election rate (55% +/-) even for Presidential much less the off years and local is our ultimate ‘civilized’ tool. A true shame so many waste the opportunity.

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I don’t discount the fact of yellow journalism or factions pushing their causes through support of like minded (bought) candidate , but it does seem like the media has gone from 3 sections of factual news with a page of editorial to the other way around.

I admit that I say this anecdotally without a shred of research haha.

Several years back, CNN listed as more neutral compared to Fox and MSNBC, but its ratings were much lower. Maybe we prefer confirmation to information.

I think there is a larger audience that wants it’s bias confirmed, than one that wants to stay mentally sharp by way of being challenged.

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I debated putting _Unbiased_in the title as the conversation has focused on that.

My big interest is whether Media has does such a poor job informing us, that Democracy itself is imperiled.
Is the financial consideration of broadcasting Bruce transitioning, genderless bathrooms, or Prince ODing so enticing that hard news is difficult to find?