Kudos to Apple and Google

[AngusThermopyle]

And that is not what is commonly called censorship

Can't argue with that point.

I think a far better word would be sensationalism.

[M.Dancer]

Can't argue with that point.

I think a far better word would be sensationalism.

For some but not for mist.

Now back when the Financial Times of Canada published every Monday, they would carry perhaps 25-35 stories an issue. They might have received 200 to 300 news releases. The 10 or so writers would also be working on in any given week a couple of dozen stories.

It is a physical impossibility (along with a financial impracticality) to publish every news item that crosses the desk of an editor and someone has to make a call.

1. Which is the most important.
   
2. Which is the most relevant to the readers.
   
3. Which is the most interesting over all.
   

I would get calls from Franchise directors asking why (as advertisers) no one came to their opening of..(insert self promotional event). They would argue that if the readers are supposed to be good enough to advertise to (to buy franchise locations) the franchise should be important enough to have (insert self promotional event) covered.

Diplomatically I would say, "your (insert self promotional event) is certainly newsworthy but if we go through the paper we see that Placer Dome has just.....and on page 2 Canadian Pacific was accused by....on page 12 ..."

and so on and so on. My point to him or her would always end, it was a very busy news week and the gravity of the news quite frankly left little room or opportunity to send someone out to (insert small town Canada) to cover your (insert self promotional event). More often than not they would agree.

The editors when asked about the (insert self promotional event) would invariably say if the Franchise was a public company that is widely traded on Canadian Exchanges then Mea culpe for not covering it...but otherwise an (insert self promotional event) that might mean business to 100 franchise owners means little to 270,000 investment oriented readers....

...Anyway, that's my newsfilter anecdote/rant.

[AngusThermopyle]

It is a physical impossibility (along with a financial impracticality) to publish every news item that crosses the desk of an editor and someone has to make a call.

Which is the most important.

Which is the most relevant to the readers.

Which is the most interesting over all.

Can't argue with you there.

However I would propose that the list is missing one point, which is the most sensational. After all the sensational sells and finding objectivity that overides financial considerations in the media world can be very difficult.

Then there is the whole subject of bias and even dishonesty in this area that simply cannot be denied. It does exist and lies are told, even if not directly. The example I will use is the one I'm familiar with having been a member of the group that were directly targetted by the media.

That would be the "hazing scandals" in the CAF during the early 90's. As I mentioned before I've participated in five of these "hazings" (actually crossing the line ceremonies) what I saw presented to the public by the media only in the vaguest way resembled reality after the editors were done with it. That is why I say lies are told. A lie does not have to be a direct statement, it can be a lie by ommission, or by misdirection, or by presenting elements of the truth but arranging them such as to indicate a false or untrue conclusion.

The reasons for doing so are pretty obvious. It's not as sensational to show the reality, in fact most people would find the reality pretty boring. One clip shown was a guy with a mop head on his head, a bra and a skirt, the commentary was that CAF members indulge in bizzare practices that include dressing as women. What they didn't explain was that you have a "court" for the ceremony, you have Neptune, his wife, the court members, both male and female, it's all part of the show. This is how its always been done, the first time I crossed the line on a civilian ship on the way to south Africa it was done this way. Like I mentioned, even Trudeau participated in at least one of them, yet the Media failed to mention any of this and merely painted a portrait of slavering semi human brutes, and that is unequivocably a lie.

This is part of the reason I approach the Media (I'm talking about news media) with such scepticism and have no faith or trust in them.

[M.Dancer]

That would be the "hazing scandals" in the CAF during the early 90's. As I mentioned before I've participated in five of these "hazings" (actually crossing the line ceremonies) what I saw presented to the public by the media only in the vaguest way resembled reality after the editors were done with it. That is why I say lies are told. A lie does not have to be a direct statement, it can be a lie by ommission, or by misdirection, or by presenting elements of the truth but arranging them such as to indicate a false or untrue conclusion.

The reasons for doing so are pretty obvious. It's not as sensational to show the reality, in fact most people would find the reality pretty boring. One clip shown was a guy with a mop head on his head, a bra and a skirt, the commentary was that CAF members indulge in bizzare practices that include dressing as women. What they didn't explain was that you have a "court" for the ceremony, you have Neptune, his wife, the court members, both male and female, it's all part of the show. This is how its always been done, the first time I crossed the line on a civilian ship on the way to south Africa it was done this way. Like I mentioned, even Trudeau participated in at least one of them, yet the Media failed to mention any of this and merely painted a portrait of slavering semi human brutes, and that is unequivocably a lie.

This is part of the reason I approach the Media (I'm talking about news media) with such scepticism and have no faith or trust in them.

It could also be tht they just didn't understand....I doubt they writers were eye witnesses who were on the ship for the weeks prior to meeting Neptune.....more likely they saw a video...like a youtube...without context...and hamered to fit onto a bigger story? The breakdown of discipline in 2 commado?

caveat: there is always a bigger story

[AngusThermopyle]

The breakdown of discipline in 2 commado?

Well I can't argue about 2 commando. I knew quite a few of those guys at that time and its true, quite a few of them were unproffesional and undiscilplined.

Though the actions of individuals were their own personal responsibility a large, very large part of the breakdown could be laid directly at the feet of command. it was weak and ineffective, couple that with a new recruiting policy that made it a virtual shoe in for those seeking the infantry and eventually the Airborne and it was just a disaster waiting for the right circumstances to explode.

Its no secret that the CAF is weakest at the command level. What can we expect when we train our officers as accountants and managers with little emphasis on the soldier part of command any more? Not to mention the fact that those in power appear to believe we need more officers per man than any other nation in the world. You gotta keep all those guys busy somehow.

[M.Dancer]

Well I can't argue about 2 commando. I knew quite a few of those guys at that time and its true, quite a few of them were unproffesional and undiscilplined.

Though the actions of individuals were their own personal responsibility a large, very large part of the breakdown could be laid directly at the feet of command. it was weak and ineffective, couple that with a new recruiting policy that made it a virtual shoe in for those seeking the infantry and eventually the Airborne and it was just a disaster waiting for the right circumstances to explode.

Its no secret that the CAF is weakest at the command level. What can we expect when we train our officers as accountants and managers with little emphasis on the soldier part of command any more? Not to mention the fact that those in power appear to believe we need more officers per man than any other nation in the world. You gotta keep all those guys busy somehow.

I remember when those stories, the hazings and such that were in the media. The public and the media wanted answers how Matchee and the others could go rogue..and as more info on other incidents, the fire bombing of an officers car etc...they (the media) started looking at, for right or wrong, military culture which incudes hazings.

Few outside of military or perhaps close knit sports clubs will understand a hazings outside of the context. We are well to understand that the media are human, and being fallible isn't being malicious.

[Kitch]

Of course they do. They sift between the relevant and the irrelevant, the interesting and the boring. That's the first job of an editor. But newspapers tend to be much more indepth and longer than the average 6 PM news piece.

And that is not what is commonly called censorship

Sure newspapers are longer, but can you really differentiate them from television or radio newscasts because of that? In depth doesn't necessarily mean more objective, less slanted or truthful.

Besides, newspapers sell for, what, 50 cents? A dollar? The revenue from sales does not allow newspapers to continue to operate. It's the companies that want to advertise that are the customers. Readers/viewers are the product. Which is why it makes sense that such media companies would be subservient to advertisers.

Why wouldn't CanWest allow Adbusters to run a commercial on one of their stations even though Adbusters was willing to pay the going rate for such air time?