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From: jjboritz@watnot.UUCP (Jim Boritz)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia
Subject: Re: Television coverage
Message-ID: <11456@watnot.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Feb-86 13:23:06 EST
Article-I.D.: watnot.11456
Posted: Fri Feb  7 13:23:06 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Feb-86 05:18:32 EST
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Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
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> 
> Please explain WHY you think that showing the crowd at the launch was an
> example of "irresponsible" journalism, and please explain what it is about
> the reportage of unfortunate events that makes the news media "callous".
> And, if I may be permitted to get my digs in, it is thinking of people
> who hold your views that would prefer that TV and the press suppress 
> information at their discretion, and only show us, perhaps, what the 
> government would like us to see? Why don't you go to Canada or the
> Soviet Union if you'd like to have your information controlled. 

I would really like to know where you get off even implying that there is 
less control of the news in your "free" country than there is in Canada.
I do not see why television news has to show someone getting their head blown
off, or someone jumping off a building.  It does not make the fact any more
real.  If I remember correctly, one of the most horrifying things on "U.S."
television was when a man doused himself with lighter fluid or gasoline and
then proceeded to light himself on fire.  All this while the cameras were
rolling.  To top it off the cameras just kept on rolling while he burnt.
No one tried to stop him and no one tried to put the flames out.   
This is an excellent example of what jounalism has become in the US.  It
is not journalism.  It is sensationalism. It is not news to watch someone die.
It is horrible.  What it does produce is ratings.  Human beings love to watch
other human beings suffer.  It does not say very much for our civilization 
does it.  Let's stop all this ambulance chasing and just report the news.
 
By the way, you must be extremely naive if you think that journalism is not
controlled to some extent in the US, or anywhere else in the world.
 
Q: If 10,000 UFO's flew over Buffalo, which ones would be reported?
 

A: The ones that were on fire.


"Time it was and what a time it was..." - Paul Simon Bookends
 
Jim Boritz @ watnot