Contentious
Monday, September 25th, 2006 at 8:00 amAs I write this, it’s Sunday and I’m sitting at my desk working on wiping and reinstalling the boss’s computer, so I have some time to kill. I really don’t want to write anything in depth between installations and reboots (freakin’ Windows), so I called Leslie to give me a word from which to bounce into a post for today.
The word she gave me was contentious.
Of course, I told her I had to look that one up, which she said she had to as well last night which is why it was on her mind. Coincidentally, I had just watched the “interview” on Fox News Sunday with former President Clinton, so when Leslie told me what contentious meant, my mind went directly to this segment that fastlad had posted on his blog.
It was great to see Clinton defend himself to a network, in my opinion, that has as little integrity as the current administration. In short, I’m enjoying the left getting as loud-mouthed as the right.
A conversation Mateo and I have had on a few occasions is about the integrity of all journalism, be it CNN or Fox News. Having both been trained in the ‘arts’, it was ground into both of us about unbiased reporting. Get the facts. Granted, facts are based many times on eyewitness reports and everyone’s reality is skewed and filtered through their own brain; however, interviewing several to find the consistencies when you can helps get beyond human perception.
My problem with television news and why I didn’t pursue journalism as a career is that so much opinion is being offered as fact because they know the average person doesn’t have time or just won’t check sources to validate what they are being told. Unfortunately, I also believe apathy comes into play as well.
Granted the sensationalism for ratings is out of hand, too. In fact, it makes me quite contentious at times.
After I installed Windows XP SP 2, I did another update check and am now currently downloading 56, that’s right – FIFTY-SIX – high priority updates to Windows. Wow.
Update (4:00pm): Looks like Fox is trying to rewrite its own history again and took the Clinton interview down from YouTube and other places; however, you can still see the interview here.
September 25th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
I got an (almost) degree in journalism. I worked my way through collage as a waiter, only to find that starting journalists made less then my busboy. I always “took care” of the bus boy, but thats beside the point. The problem with the news is that they tell you what to wright ~ so on one gets informed and nothing gets done, and now I too am Contentious :)_
September 25th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
My cousin was a sucessful tv reporter for awhile, and even he admits it was entirely bullshit made for ratings. Print journalism may have slightly higher credibility, but even then in my first hand experience something inevitably gets skewed to the angle of most interest. This isn’t to say some journalists don’t go after the integrity of truth. But they are also answering to somebody higher than them…and after all, we can’t BORE the Highlands Ranchers! I think this is why fear tactics and vapid shit play such a big part in the news…Ecoli in spinnach! A serial killer in Ireland killing young American girls! Britney Spears is still white trash! Does any of this truly likely to affect us? Shouldn’t people actually be worrying about their disinigrating marriages and daughter snorting coke off of her sunday school Jesus mirror upstairs? The news is a great distraction from the real problems in life.
Anyway, President Clinton rocks and even though he’s a perv and groped my friend after Columbine I want to meet him someday.
September 25th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
Godwacker: Plust there is a lot of ego in the industry and I didn’t want to be watching my back for the killing career blow.
Leslie: Wow, that is a great definition of news. And just to be bitchy: name dropper!
September 26th, 2006 at 2:47 pm
Meredith Veira used the word “contentious” to describe the Clinton incident on the Today Show this morning and I immediately thought of you.
September 26th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Ha! That’s funny!
September 27th, 2006 at 5:26 am
Same reasons I left journalism behind me, though it took me eight years to realise I was either gonna leave or find my soul destroyed. x
September 27th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
I just got the link to finally work, and WOW. Why is Clinton the only democrat with a spine anymore? Don’t that have even one person like him left?
September 28th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
Andy: I understand completely.
Leslie: I honestly think they ended up striking deals with Republicans to just roll over and have get their bellies rubbed. Things are getting a little better with the party, but they could certainly use an extremely strong leader right now.