You are viewing a single comment's thread from:

RE: A Load of Boo

in Reflections3 months ago

You raise an interesting point about perceptions being filtered, but I wonder if you think it’s purely the result of circumstance, or could it also be shaped deliberately by those in power? And if our view of events is being filtered, even subtly, how do we distinguish between genuine confusion and manipulation?

Sort:  

I don't think the powers-that-be are even being subtle in their manipulation any more. Here in the UK, all the mainstream legacy media act as if they are state controlled (which they effectively are - directly in the case of the BBC, indirectly in the case of the others through the enforcement policies of the regulator, OFCOM).

My solution, however imperfect, is to look as widely as possible. I try to visit foreign news websites, to get different perspectives - often biased, but with a different bias to the uniformity shown by UK MSM. But most telling is that the MSM often sins by omission; it is what they are not talking about that matters. For that, I compare what citizen journalists on social media are discussing compered to the MSM. It's often very illuminating ! Right now, for example the BBC are busy talking about celebrity gossip and almost totally avoiding the private grooming gang enquiry being conducted by an independent MP.

Ah diversification of viewpoints. Yes indeed one possible solution..

But most telling is that the MSM often sins by omission; it is what they are not talking about that matters.

Manipulation today often isn’t about outright falsehoods, but about selective attention.