Do you believe mainstream media?

[jujiju]

I don’t. I used to and I miss being in that safe bubble. I still have a look to see what is being reported, but I’m no longer in that place where I just assume what I’m being fed is correct without doing my own research.

All the posters here who say they never read a newspaper, watch a news broadcast or monitor mainstream media - you're really not selling me on it, tbh.

I don't believe anyone who uses the term mainstream media.

I don't disagree that there are issues around media outlets and relevance and representation that can make reporting less salient to people, but surely that's a different critique from are they trustworthy?

Wasnt trying to

Everything i say is for me, i dont care if anyone agrees or changes their thinking.

The OP is do you trust mainstream media - no and i explain why i dont have trust and what ruined it

This absolutely BOILS MY PISS!!! Mainstream journalists are accredited, bound by ethics and adhere to OFCOM rules etc. Also legally trained, take care to deliver balanced reporting. But ok, listen instead to some crackpot on X with no qualifications, verifiable sources and who more than likely have an agenda and will suit their narrative by plucking “facts” from other equally unreliable sources.

I use it purely in the sense of 'the big news channels'
like yeah there many independent outlets but they generally attract those deep diving on news, that never crosses anything i interact with as i dont look for it

The big news channels, usually the stuff people mention in conversation, the headlines you see opening a browser - like Microsoft edge opens up a new tab with news as default from the big outlets - mainstream media

Side note, if anyone knows how to turn that Microsoft edge thing off, id be so grateful lol

why's that? All the people saying they have disengaged from news have said it has only had a positive effect on their lives so seems quite an endorsement to me.
I've yet to hear anyone say they stopped with the news but it idn't work for some reason so went back to engaging with it.
Give it a go, you'll be pleasantly surprised

so you see no difference between say the BBc and a random one person news channel on youtube?
Fair enough, just as much chance of peopel talking nonsense on either I guess!

Yes. I know people who work in news (mostly newspaper) and everything is fact checked. Of course things change (like knowledge about Covid) and if the source (a government department fur example) is being economical with the truth then that’s a problem. What they choose to report can be revealing, but generally speaking every journalist I know is trying to report the truth.

Very little of it anymore but I suppose sometimes you think there is no smoke without fire and there might be some element of truth in in

Have been trying to stay away from stuff like Instagram as I’m completely sick if influencers trying to flog products claiming they are fantastic and the must have product when you know it’s all lies and they are just being paid to do so
I personally think (I hope) that most people are getting sick and tired of influencers…..and there are so many of them out there!!

I'm a secondary school teacher, though not of one of the subjects you mention. We do touch on things like this in Personal Development (i.e. PSHE), but tbh I think it goes in one ear and out of the other. By the time they are in secondary, they are often already too influenced by what they see online and are in quite fixed habits about what they believe.

Many years ago, my teacher told us to not believe everything in the press as it depends on who owns it or on the government agenda. I don’t trust the BBC any more and as a PP said, I don’t think that we get the whole truth or, we only get a skewed perspective. We don’t know what we don’t know.
It’s worth reading Emily Maitlis’ comments about the unbalanced Brexit reporting too.
These days, I try and get news from various sources: Byline Times, Private Eye etc. Sadly, too many relatives get their ‘news’ from the right wing media, TikTok or FB.

https://www.indy100.com/news/emily-maitlis-bbc-brexit-edinburgh

None to be honest.

So you don't believe anything you see or hear about the news? Do you believe Trump is president or that Putin invaded Ukraine (are you aware these things happened?)

Because they sound quite insular and blinkered - and self-congratulatory about same - not a good combination. Plus their arguments don't make a lot of sense

I mean…as I said, there are framings we might disagree with, but they can’t just post anything. If you’ve been propagand-ed to the point you can’t rationalise, it’s seriously scary.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PROPAGANDA-Edward-Bernays/dp/0970312598

Propaganda & Political Psychology Step by Step: How Political Leaders Influence, Persuade, Craft & Control Public Perception (Step By Step Subject Guides) Hardcover – 10 Nov. 2024
by David Smith (Author)

Propaganda & Political Psychology Step by Step: How Political Leaders Influence, Persuade, Craft & Control Public Perception goes deep into the art and science of influence. Perfect for readers interested in psychology, political science, and media studies, this book unpacks the complex tactics leaders use to shape public opinion, control narratives, and build support. In an era of mass media and digital influence, this essential guide offers insights into how messages are crafted and why they impact us so profoundly.

What You’ll Learn:
Foundational Concepts – Explore the history, evolution, and ethical considerations of propaganda. From white, black, and gray propaganda types to the fundamental theories in political psychology, understand the building blocks of influence.
Psychological Techniques of Influence – Discover how cognitive biases, group dynamics, and social conditioning make us susceptible to persuasion. Learn about anchoring, availability heuristic, and confirmation bias, as well as the power of authority and social proof.
Emotion in Political Messaging – Unpack how leaders use fear, hope, and anger to motivate action. This book explains how emotional appeals bypass rational thinking and create a lasting impact on belief and behavior.
The Role of Language and Visuals – From euphemisms and loaded language to the visual symbols that convey power, learn how these elements subtly direct our perceptions.
Mass Media & Social Media Influence – Understand how media, both traditional and digital, serve as powerful tools for shaping public beliefs. This includes the role of media ownership, echo chambers, and the influence of algorithms on social media.
Modern Manipulation Tactics – Explore how misinformation, fake news, and even conspiracy theories are designed to mislead. Learn to recognize techniques of manipulation that leaders use to create distrust, exploit fears, or spread mis/disinformation.
Behavioral Economics and Political Nudging – Go into the basics of nudge theory and how politicians use subtle cues to influence public behavior without direct persuasion.
Strategic Narratives and Storytelling – Political storytelling is a powerful tool. Learn how narratives—particularly those casting characters as heroes or villains—shape our perspectives on political issues and events.
Collective Memory & Historical Revisionism – Discover how historical narratives and selective retellings shape national identity and loyalty. Understand how leaders use myths and monumentalizing events to reinforce unity.
Psychological Warfare – Get insight into psychological tactics that aim to break public will.
Defending Against Manipulation – Explore critical thinking strategies, media literacy, and other ways to strengthen resilience against influence.
Future of Propaganda – The final chapter addresses trends like AI, automated messaging, and psychological targeting that shape the future of political influence.

Who Should Read This Book?
This book is ideal for:
Students in political science, psychology, sociology, and media studies who want a deeper understanding of influence and public perception.
General Readers curious about how propaganda and political psychology shape our world today.
Professionals in marketing, PR, journalism, and public relations, where understanding influence tactics is essential.
Today, influence is everywhere. Propaganda & Political Psychology Step by Step reveals how leaders, brands, and organizations strategically use psychology to shape the public’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. Gain the knowledge to make informed decisions, recognize manipulation, and engage with information critically.

Propaganda Blitz: How the Corporate Media Distort Reality Kindle Edition
by David Edwards (Author), David Cromwell (Author)

Do you trust the liberal media? While the tabloid and right-wing press - the Sun, The Times, the Mail and the Express - are constantly criticised for dangerous bias, outlets like the BBC and the Guardian are trusted by their readers to report in the interests of the public. However, the reality is that all corporate media is systematically filtered by the powerful interests that own, manage and fund it.

Propaganda Blitz shows that the corporate media does not just 'spin' the news - it fundamentally distorts everything it touches, hiding the real issues from public view, and often completely reversing the truth. This book uncovers a storm of top-down campaigns behind war reporting from Iraq, Syria and Palestine, as well as the destruction of the credibility of figures on the left, including Jeremy Corbyn, Russell Brand and Hugo Chavez.

Exposing propagandists at the top levels of the BBC, as well as their reporting on the Scottish independence referendum, the dismantling of the NHS and looming climate chaos, Propaganda Blitz explains the real meaning of 'objective' journalism, exposes the fake news about 'fake news' and outlines a model for anti-business media activism.

I like being insular and blinkered. More fun than getting wound up or worried about things I can do fuck all about.

How Propaganda Works Kindle Edition
by Jason Stanley (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

How propaganda undermines democracy and why we need to pay attention

Our democracy today is fraught with political campaigns, lobbyists, liberal media, and Fox News commentators, all using language to influence the way we think and reason about public issues. Even so, many of us believe that propaganda and manipulation aren't problems for us—not in the way they were for the totalitarian societies of the mid-twentieth century. In How Propaganda Works, Jason Stanley demonstrates that more attention needs to be paid. He examines how propaganda operates subtly, how it undermines democracy—particularly the ideals of democratic deliberation and equality—and how it has damaged democracies of the past.

Focusing on the shortcomings of liberal democratic states, Stanley provides a historically grounded introduction to democratic political theory as a window into the misuse of democratic vocabulary for propaganda's selfish purposes. He lays out historical examples, such as the restructuring of the US public school system at the turn of the twentieth century, to explore how the language of democracy is sometimes used to mask an undemocratic reality. Drawing from a range of sources, including feminist theory, critical race theory, epistemology, formal semantics, educational theory, and social and cognitive psychology, he explains how the manipulative and hypocritical declaration of flawed beliefs and ideologies arises from and perpetuates inequalities in society, such as the racial injustices that commonly occur in the United States.

How Propaganda Works shows that an understanding of propaganda and its mechanisms is essential for the preservation and protection of liberal democracies everywhere.

all those are summaries from amazon

Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How the Left Took Over Your TV Kindle Edition
by Ben Shapiro (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

“Vitally important, devastatingly thorough, and shockingly revealing…. After reading Primetime Propaganda, you’ll never watch TV the same way again.”
—Mark Levin

Movie critic Michael Medved calls Ben Shapiro, “One of our most refreshing and insightful voices on the popular culture, as well as a conscience for his much-maligned generation.” With Primetime Propaganda, the syndicated columnist and bestselling author of Brainwashed, Porn Generation, and Project President tells the shocking true story of how the most powerful medium of mass communication in human history became a vehicle for spreading the radical agenda of the left side of the political spectrum. Similar to what Bernard Goldberg’s Bias and A Slobbering Love Affair did for the liberal news machine, Shapiro’s Primetime Propaganda is an essential exposé of corrupting media bias, pulling back the curtain on widespread and unrepentant abuses of the Hollywood entertainment industry.

If you're quoting Ben Shapiro as a source on media propaganda, surely you're having a laugh?

And Jason Stanley, from above, is now fleeing the US, leaving Yale for Toronto due to the American political situation (brought about, in part, due to Ben Shapiro and his ilk).

But I don't stress about stuff I can't control
I just go.about my life
I'm happy, it works fir me

They don't make sense to you cos it's not your experience.
Nothing wrong with that
My reasons make sense for me and that's all it needs to do