Opinions vs Facts
This article is a good reminder of the difference between opinions and facts.
Too often it is enough for some people to say "I believe in this", and if it is repeated and broadcasted enough it will convince a non negligeable part of the population that it is true.
The fictious example in the article about the example where Bush wer to say "The Earth is flat" is close to the truth.
Where it becomes despicable is when people use this to advance their personal agenda. It goes from "The insurgency is in its last throes" to "Abortion gives breast cancer" to "It depends what the definition of is is".
Everybody is entitled to have an opinion, but the danger is when people believe everything and its opposite, without really checking the facts, or the scientifical evidences. And here I think the journalist have a huge responsability. They have to check the facts properly before writing about something. Because the world we live in is a world where the population has no time/wish to check what they are served. Bread and circus has been and will be the people's philosophy!
It reminds me of a quote (which I unfortunately can't remember precisely) saying something like "The people arguing the most about an issue are always the ones knowing little about it".
Indeed, when you think about it, when the true facts are on the table, there is not much left to discuss! Then it is only a question of politics and it takes 2 seconds to choose your camp :)
P.S: Be careful about the "Get the Facts" push by some people/companies. More than often they are self interested.
Too often it is enough for some people to say "I believe in this", and if it is repeated and broadcasted enough it will convince a non negligeable part of the population that it is true.
The fictious example in the article about the example where Bush wer to say "The Earth is flat" is close to the truth.
Where it becomes despicable is when people use this to advance their personal agenda. It goes from "The insurgency is in its last throes" to "Abortion gives breast cancer" to "It depends what the definition of is is".
Everybody is entitled to have an opinion, but the danger is when people believe everything and its opposite, without really checking the facts, or the scientifical evidences. And here I think the journalist have a huge responsability. They have to check the facts properly before writing about something. Because the world we live in is a world where the population has no time/wish to check what they are served. Bread and circus has been and will be the people's philosophy!
It reminds me of a quote (which I unfortunately can't remember precisely) saying something like "The people arguing the most about an issue are always the ones knowing little about it".
Indeed, when you think about it, when the true facts are on the table, there is not much left to discuss! Then it is only a question of politics and it takes 2 seconds to choose your camp :)
P.S: Be careful about the "Get the Facts" push by some people/companies. More than often they are self interested.
Labels: Society
posted by Bambitroll at
12:22
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