BS: Only good news on the radio!

Subject: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: GUEST,Grab
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 12:56 PM

Strangest thing happened today. Driving into work, I had the radio on Radio 2. The 9am news came on. And there was nothing but good news on it!

Hamas were considering a ceasefire.
MPs were talking about closing down the Child Protection Agency.
An Australian doctor got "person of the year" for inventing artifical skin for burns victims.
Bill Gates had donated $750m for vaccinations in Africa, and the UK government had responded by promising £1billion over the next 15 years.
A few more stories I can't remember, but all positive.
And even the weather forecast was good!

I was starting to wonder if I really had woken up, or if I was dreaming it! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: DougR
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 01:10 PM

Grab: your point is well taken. There is far less "good news" reported in the press than there are good things taking place. I guess folks either like to read bad news, or the good things are not being reported.

The progress being made in Iraq is an excellent example I think.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Amos
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 01:15 PM

You're right, Doug. There's lots of good advances being made in Iraq that never get to the media. Unfortunately the horrorshows are still going on and they get blown up larrge, pardon the expression. It makes it look like the whole adventure is bombing out, so to speak, when it is not.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 01:16 PM

It's always been like that. The press basically prefers bad news, scandals, disasters, emergencies, and that sort of thing. So does the local gossip. :-) They will print whatever draws the most reaction from people. It's that simple.

Now, here's what I'd like to see: Newspapers with Big Headline, saying...

NOTHING HAPPENED YESTERDAY!!! NO WORLD NEWS!!!

Then some editorials and articles analyzing this big absence of events, and drawing conclusions as to what it all means. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 01:56 PM

I am always glad when newscasts manage to make room for good news. The artificial structure of this newscast you heard may have been intentional for any number of reasons. There are certainly enough bad things happening in the world that could have swelled that newscast. So many I won't bother to enumerate them here.

Balance is useful, when a mix of good and bad are offered. That's why I listen to public radio (U.S.). They do a better job of giving what I consider true "news."

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 02:04 PM

I hope you meant the child support agency?

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: PoppaGator
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 02:19 PM

That's why I listen to WWOZ -- all music, NO NEWS!!

You have to live in New Orleans to hear it on your car radio, but you can listen in on your computer anywhere in the world:

http://www.wwoz.org/live_broadcast_stream_wm.html

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Once Famous
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 03:14 PM

Suffering is news. Happiness is not.

It's like lousy weather. That's a big news story. No one is pleading you to stay tuned for the news to see how nice it's going to be tomorrow.

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 03:30 PM

I wish the news were all good,
but another dozen soldiers just died in a helo crash, four more were killed in sporadic attacks and the insurgents also attacked many of the polling places.

I like to look at the good and the bad and hopefully there's a balance. What I can't take is someone running around with their rose colored glasses saying everything is fine. It would also help if the media would loose it's blind man's cane and report some of the good things that are going on there.

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 04:38 PM

Closer to three dozen. But that's what I was planning to not count. It's bad enough when anyone dies over there. Adding magnitude gets it bumped to the top of the story list.

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 04:48 PM

Actually, happiness is news...to most people...but on a whole other level. It doesn't really apply to the purpose of this discussion.

I think of the mainstream "News" nowadays primarily as a device to mould public consciousness in a predetermined manner, and sell commercial product. Propaganda and advertising, in other words.

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Grab
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 11:18 AM

Yes, it was the Child Support Agency. Sorry, brainfart there.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: GUEST,guest from NW
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 11:57 AM

"The progress being made in Iraq is an excellent example I think"

still waiting for a visit from you, dougR, or any other bushbuddies with some links, sources, or details on this "progress" and "good news" that is so underreported, on the Good News in Iraq thread. there's a whole thread waiting to be filled with it to enlighten us.

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 12:34 PM

Brainfart! What a wonderful phrase. Perfect for those silly mistakes you're not quite sure how you made....

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:49 AM

The Australian ' Person of the Year ' is actually a Yorkshirewoman.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: Teresa
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 01:04 AM

"lose it's blind man's cane"? That's a curious expression; I've never heard it.

Teresa (who is blind, uses a cane, and is often accused of looking at things through rose-colored glasses [if you will]) :)

Subject: RE: BS: Only good news on the radio!
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 01:33 PM

That's probably because I just coined it.
Not to offend you or anyone who is blind mind you.
I mean it to say that the media seems to be blind to anything positive going on (not just in Iraq but everywhere). Of course we already know that sex and violence sell commercial time on the TV.