10-24-2001, 02:12 PM | #1 |
Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom
Join Date: August 16, 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 2,891
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All right, first off, no flaming and no flame-baiting. I'm hoping this isn't a touchy subject...
My question is this: Everything should be covered in media and nothing should be left out, right? Well, aren't there things where it is BETTER that not everyone knows about them? Example: In Munich, people who suicided often threw themselves in front of subways. Every single one of these occurences was posted in TV and in the newspapers. Shortly after that, the suicide-by-throwing-yourself-in-front-of-subway rate rose drastically. The local media and the police discussed this and decided that from now on, suicides like these would only be a tiny article at the back of the newspaper, if they were published at all. After this step, suicides by throwing yourself in front of subway decreased by half. I repost my question: Should everything be discussed in the media, or should some things be left out? Opinions please! ------------------ Sapphire Dragoness of ALSB Waitress at Cloudy's Cafe Magess of Lady Lioness' Court Saint of the SoS Historian of IW Most Illustrious Arch-Magess of the Illuminati Lux omnis est Once Upon A Paper Writer's Forum |
10-24-2001, 02:18 PM | #2 |
Unicorn
Join Date: May 17, 2001
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I think some things should be left out, sometimes its best that the public doesn't know about certain things. The news is proven to affect peoples attitude towards life. I doubt that anyone would really want to hear about new's like that anyway really, so whats the point in publishing it? Somethings are best left in ignorance.
------------------ Knight of HADB and Lady Lioness |
10-24-2001, 02:20 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: May 17, 2001
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Things that might alarm the public more than is necessary should not be in the media, for example, if a rare virus has struck one place, but does not seem likely to strike in another, then telling about it in the media would only make people scared for no reason.
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10-24-2001, 02:26 PM | #4 | |
Fzoul Chembryl
Join Date: July 26, 2001
Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK
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Quote:
But I think if things are happening, that we should know about them. When you start muzzling the press, it's the thin end of the wedge. Before you know it we'll only be told 'what's good for us' and who is to be the judge of that? If people start copycat suiciding, one can only assume that they would have done it some way, some time anyhow - the newspaper or tv program just gave the person the idea for the method. What about films? Should we not show things that might give people ideas for killing both themselves and others? (Actually, I'd be more in favour of this than suppressing the truth about what is going on in the world. Not that we get all the truth anyway, it's always an edited and biased view, of course....) ------------------ Most Ecstatic and Exotic Mistress of the Illuminati Not to Mention Sensuality Incarnate |
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10-24-2001, 02:28 PM | #5 |
Guest
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Hmmm, tough one Kaz. Although much of what we do has intentional and traceable consequences, we are often surprised by the unintended consequences. There is also the question of censorship to be considered. Just as a point of argument, I would say that censorship must be willfully self-inflicted rather than imposed from an outside source. As for unintended consequences, such as the increase in suicides, I don't think the information should be censored, but just made less visible as the news agents did.
Some information, especially that which directly affects the safety of individuals or groups, should be handled with careful consideration. For example, it is common practice in many communities in the U.S. to publicly post the names of anyone living in the area who has a history of convictions for sexual crimes. This si a rather hotly debated issue in some areas. Some say it is a violation of the rights of the individual who has served their sentence for their crime. Others say the safety of the community takes precedence. Rough topic either way. |
10-24-2001, 02:41 PM | #6 | |
Fzoul Chembryl
Join Date: July 26, 2001
Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK
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That doesn't mean I want to see the hard stuff watered down, though. People can make their own choice on whether to read the papers or not. I frequently go through periods when I don't. For sanity's sake. I don't have a TV, so I can get away from all the crap quite easily, should I want to. And I don't have to put up with adverts, either!! ------------------ Most Ecstatic and Exotic Mistress of the Illuminati Not to Mention Sensuality Incarnate |
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10-24-2001, 03:16 PM | #7 | |
Unicorn
Join Date: May 17, 2001
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10-24-2001, 03:17 PM | #8 |
Dracolich
Join Date: August 28, 2001
Location: Hurricane Valley
Age: 52
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I would have to say that the recent deluge of information pumped out
by the media is a little oppressive. It is a know fact that all one hears is negative then that is how the they will react,negativley towards everything. The media should moderate how much info they put and give it all the right fact's before they sensesationalize it.mis information is just as bad as too much information. In today's new's all I have heard about is negative. The world is far to big and varied a place for just this type of reporting. Usually the good new's is pushed to later broadcasts or the back of the news paper. Mentioned quickly and then never touched back on. Im not trying to say that the news should be all honey and roses, but come on if you want to start a riot or make people paranoid they are starting to do a good job of it. ------------------ The Ruby Rouge of the ALSB Official Slayer of Pest's in Cloudy's Kitchen Blessed is the Warlock Advisor to the Lady Lioness for Kitchen raid's and such... |
10-24-2001, 03:18 PM | #9 | |
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10-24-2001, 10:01 PM | #10 |
Red Dragon
Join Date: March 3, 2001
Location: Scotch College, Melbourne
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I'm thinking Objective Censorship is key..Take out enough, but never so much that it rips the guts out of a story. I think that if we had real freedom of press in Singapore, we'd be reading about hate crimes between Chinese and Malays every day. There'd be so much bitterness and hatred and resentment brought to light. Everyone knows they happen, everyone knows that the Chinese as a majority dont like the Malays and vice versa, but they just like to believe it issint true and that hate crimes and racial violence are things for another nation. The newspapers here encourage that. There'd be a lot of racial violence otherwise.
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