[Leaplist] Linux and the Media mercenary bias

[patrick]

Steve Litt wrote:
> On Sunday 27 May 2007 00:24, patrick wrote:
> [clip]
>> http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/05/linux_on_your_m.h
>> tml%3bjsessionid=LUOMNY3ND0XJ4QSNDLQSKIKCJUNN2JVN
>>
>> Other publishers reported the same findings. People are interested in Linux
>> stories, but media remains loyal to advertisers. See the links below. It
>> would be nice if the 'mainstream' media delivered to people what they
>> actually wanted and needed.
>>
>>
>> Related:
>>
>> PC World Editor Resigns When Ordered Not to Criticize Advertisers
> 
> at http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/05/pc_world_editor.html
> 
> In the book "Lucifer's Hammer", one character mentions that "a society adopts 
> the morals they can afford" (my memory -- exact phrasing was different).
> 
> These are not good times for the media. The huge, thick Infoworld of my youth, 
> which provided reading over breakfast, lunch and dinner, has shrunk to a few 
> pages of dry acronym discussions. The advertising bucks aren't there.
> 
> Paper magazines will die if they lose more advertising. In tough decisions, 
> that has to weigh on their minds.
> 
> So I cut them a little slack.
> 
> The article about McCracken's resignation spoke volumes about these times:
> 
> "When asked what he'll do now he said, \"I'm going to blog and freelance at 
> least for a while. I'll probably write for PC World by the way.\""
> 
> In blogging, he competes with mainstream media, thereby further reducing their 
> advertising revenue, and hastening their demise. BUT, he also adds to the 
> democratization of media -- anyone can write and be heard, and anyone wanting 
> to hear a point of view can find it to hear.
> 
> I'm glad Troubleshooters.Com isn't printed on paper :-)
> 
> SteveT
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>
>> | Apparently he also told the staff that product reviews had to be
>> | nicer to vendors who advertise in the magazine. The sad thing is
>> | that given the economics of publishing in this day and age, I
>> | doubt anything even comes of this even tho it essentially
>> | confirms that PC World reviews should be thought of as no
>> | more than press releases. I know that's how I will consider
>> | links from them in the future. But congratulations to anyone
>> | willing to stick to their guns on such matters.
>>
>> `----
>>
>> http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/03/1810239&from=rss
>> _______________________________________________


The entire situation reinforces the concept of integrity in the media.
Seeing the loss of any integrity in the printed media, and in Television
and radio, and seeing that the advertisers seem to come first, we must
exercise personal responsibility in our choice of whom we believe.

With so many bloggers extant, it is much easier to cross check all media
sources and to discount the advertiser molls.  Yep, hark back with me to
the days of rum running gangs, when the local boss had a lady friend,
known in slang as a "moll", who would do anything to please him.

The reporters who don't show some backbone when asked to lie in their
reports, are no better than molls.

Don Imus was hired to be a shock jock, and his contract is explicit,
that he is to use any coarse language he can sneak past the FCC, to draw
an audience.

I do not care to disparage people, but, having watched my share of
Comedy Channel, and being raised with TV when it was "new", so having
seen much comedy that denigrates minorities, foreigners, or the
handicapped, maybe I am immune to much of the ruckus.

I saw that the Rutgers girls were by majority black, and were made up
like hoes, with the bright lipstick, and the garish eye liner and eye
shadow, so, watching that game, Don was accurate, though insensitive.


My point is also that we are observers and each one of us has our own
social bias that we were taught, in such depth, that we often fail to
see the scientific truth.  We see our subjective view, imposed through
our own 'filters'.  Thus it could be for magazine and other print media
 editors, or the producers of TV 'magazines'.

I am just sick and tired of seeing Microsoft lies imposed onto Linux and
other Open Source news articles, such as what the IT news outlets, and
"PC World" do.

Here, again, is the Linux history timeline:
http://www.linuxlinks.com/portal/news/staticpages/index.php?page=20070528113740321