The media refuses to layout the direct line from Covid to inflation, apparently because it doesn't indict Joe Biden. Covid created worker shortages, which created supply chain issues, which increased demand, which resulted in higher prices. "Vaccine hesitancy" is keeping Covid alive and spreading, which is keeping worker shortages alive and spreading, which is keeping the supply/demand structure of inflation alive and spreading. Is that really too complicated for reporters to relay to news consumers?
The news industry is about creating story lines. It no longer simply reports the facts and sites verifiable sources of their information. It begs the question of why? Is it because doing this creates more profit. Fear is what motivates people. Scaring readers daily with doom and gloom achieves that result. Or is it because the media, largely owned by billionaires, simply wants to control Washington and who prefer Republican politicians they can easily corrupt. In other words, is the media a branch of the slow moving coup that is sending the US toward autocracy? One thing is true. The media's task, as the Founders had wanted, to inform the public and to keep their representative government on the level is failing miserably. Future historians will not be kind to the media. That's of course if future historians are allowed to tell the truth.
Of course the press is reciting Republican talking points about how bad the economy is. The press has made it clear that they are hell bent on kneecapping Joe and they want Trump back in the White House.
All of which is why the least important factor in the media today is actually what Fux Noise says. What's most important is that what Fux Noise says shapes what the rest of the media say. And I really wish I was independently wealthy, because then I could retire and dedicate my time exclusively to organizing boycotts. Because all that the media now understand are dollars and clicks.
The Times reporting on the record GDP numbers last week (where The Times chose to emphasize the supposed continuing discontent on the part of the public) is reminiscent of a 1/2001 "The Onion" headline after W took office: "Our great national nightmare of peace and prosperity is over."
How bizarre is it that the press also doesn't want to talk about the effects of the Fed raising interest rates on our booming economy? How long must inflation be occurring before it's too long? I'm not an economist but I'm puzzled that the good is being overshadowed by a fire hose of money that could throw the economy into a recession, yet nobody thinks this is an issue. Instead, they want to talk about Donald Trump and whether their favorite ex-president is going to run again. We're also getting almost no coverage of the trial of the 3 cops who were accessories in the murder of George Floyd. Half-assed "journalism."
One of the worst sins against Biden by the press really is the fact that they habitually ignore that inflation is caused by the pandemic, and it is global. Just last night I read that inflation in Turkey, for example, is over 50% since last year, and that Erdogan fired the economists who released that information.
The media often cherry-picks stories to fit a specific narrative. For example, in all the hysterical reporting about inflation, I haven't seen the national news as why rents in Miami suddenly jumped 40%. I haven't seen stories about the dangerous unchecked monopolistic practices which have allowed companies to 1) ship all manufacturing overseas and focus on just-in-time demand, so supply chain shortages were inevitable, 2) arbitrarily raise prices unconnected to the supply chain, and use the extra revenues for stock buybacks, executive raises, and shareholder dividends, 3) consolidate power in massive cargo ships that caused weeks of anchored cargo vessels stranded in the Port of Long Beach, 4) consolidation of power in a handful of trucking companies whose poor treatment of long-haul truckers during a pandemic caused a massive number of resignations. Inflation is real, but so are the decades of unchecked monopolistic practices that have exacerbated it. Lazy reporting with no context or holistic clarity is a hallmark of lazy reporting.
The American mainstream media wants to eat their cake and have it too.
They've somehow decided that a mix of dishonest "doom and gloom" reporting on the economy under the Biden administration,fears of a Republican return to power in Congress if the party wins big in the November midterms because of voter suppression laws, extreme gerrymandering & the filibustering of the Voting Rights Act by them & 2 traitors (Manchin & Sinema), and threat of domestic terrorism by individuals/groups with GOP links is the ONLY way to keep viewers & readers of news doomscrolling on their Twitter feeds, doomlistening on NPR & doomwatching on their televisions or laptops.
Seriously, people were already stressed out with Hair Farce One over the unhinged & bat-sh*t crazy messages coming from his Twitter account, press conferences, impromptu chopper talks, and interviews. Having Biden as president should've served as a necessary breather for the last four years.
However, when ratings & subscriptions went down, the media decided that financial bottomline was more important than mental health & well-being of its readers, viewers, listeners.
I understand your point, that the press isn’t fairly attributing the positive GDP and stock market to Biden, but to be honest, everyday people are faced with really high gas prices and really high grocery bills. That’s what people understand to be “the economy”. So while it’s true that things are going well in terms of “the government added a bunch of jobs” and “oh look at the GDP”, that’s not what people think about when they fill up their gas tank. Additionally, don’t dismiss the impact of someone’s raise being wiped out due to inflation. That does hurt. And many people didn’t even get a raise at all.
In your coverage of the American mainstream media's dishonest "doom & gloom" reporting on the economy under the Biden administration, have you also seen how it affects other countries' perception on whether or not the American economy will help in the global economic recovery despite the continuing Covid-19 pandemic?
I ask this question because my father believes the American economy might enter into a bubble based on a Guardian column he read last week:
The reason why my father likes this article is that he wants the American economy to suffer so China would takeover as biggest player in the global economy.
Despite being born in the Philippines and spending most of his life here, my father has become pro-China because he doesn't like the colonial-era abuses committed by the Western powers against China, and his belief that it shouldn't be criticized by the same Western powers for aggressively flexing its economic, diplomatic and military power.
Anyway, he also believes Western media is biased against the Chinese government because they report on the country's horrible human rights record.
My father's mother came from China, but my siblings and I have to remind him that the Mainland Chinese don't consider people of Chinese descent who live outside the country as Chinese.
The media refuses to layout the direct line from Covid to inflation, apparently because it doesn't indict Joe Biden. Covid created worker shortages, which created supply chain issues, which increased demand, which resulted in higher prices. "Vaccine hesitancy" is keeping Covid alive and spreading, which is keeping worker shortages alive and spreading, which is keeping the supply/demand structure of inflation alive and spreading. Is that really too complicated for reporters to relay to news consumers?
The news industry is about creating story lines. It no longer simply reports the facts and sites verifiable sources of their information. It begs the question of why? Is it because doing this creates more profit. Fear is what motivates people. Scaring readers daily with doom and gloom achieves that result. Or is it because the media, largely owned by billionaires, simply wants to control Washington and who prefer Republican politicians they can easily corrupt. In other words, is the media a branch of the slow moving coup that is sending the US toward autocracy? One thing is true. The media's task, as the Founders had wanted, to inform the public and to keep their representative government on the level is failing miserably. Future historians will not be kind to the media. That's of course if future historians are allowed to tell the truth.
FYI: You can get a plugin to copy your music playlists from Spotify over to Apple Music.
Of course the press is reciting Republican talking points about how bad the economy is. The press has made it clear that they are hell bent on kneecapping Joe and they want Trump back in the White House.
All of which is why the least important factor in the media today is actually what Fux Noise says. What's most important is that what Fux Noise says shapes what the rest of the media say. And I really wish I was independently wealthy, because then I could retire and dedicate my time exclusively to organizing boycotts. Because all that the media now understand are dollars and clicks.
It might help if the press actually explained in easy to understand language why someone's $50 supermarket run now costs $80.
The Times reporting on the record GDP numbers last week (where The Times chose to emphasize the supposed continuing discontent on the part of the public) is reminiscent of a 1/2001 "The Onion" headline after W took office: "Our great national nightmare of peace and prosperity is over."
How bizarre is it that the press also doesn't want to talk about the effects of the Fed raising interest rates on our booming economy? How long must inflation be occurring before it's too long? I'm not an economist but I'm puzzled that the good is being overshadowed by a fire hose of money that could throw the economy into a recession, yet nobody thinks this is an issue. Instead, they want to talk about Donald Trump and whether their favorite ex-president is going to run again. We're also getting almost no coverage of the trial of the 3 cops who were accessories in the murder of George Floyd. Half-assed "journalism."
One of the worst sins against Biden by the press really is the fact that they habitually ignore that inflation is caused by the pandemic, and it is global. Just last night I read that inflation in Turkey, for example, is over 50% since last year, and that Erdogan fired the economists who released that information.
The Times continues with the GOP propaganda!
NYT twists stats to insist we need more policing
https://www.alternet.org/2022/01/defund-the-police/?utm_source=push_notifications
So the New York Times has bought Wordle!
Who wants to guess that their first puzzle won’t be…TRUMP?
Sorry to hear about tightening your belt especially at this stage in the game. Stressful for certain.
Off topic; how about this headline from R. Douhat y’day? ‘Will a Mask Debate Split Blue States?’
The media often cherry-picks stories to fit a specific narrative. For example, in all the hysterical reporting about inflation, I haven't seen the national news as why rents in Miami suddenly jumped 40%. I haven't seen stories about the dangerous unchecked monopolistic practices which have allowed companies to 1) ship all manufacturing overseas and focus on just-in-time demand, so supply chain shortages were inevitable, 2) arbitrarily raise prices unconnected to the supply chain, and use the extra revenues for stock buybacks, executive raises, and shareholder dividends, 3) consolidate power in massive cargo ships that caused weeks of anchored cargo vessels stranded in the Port of Long Beach, 4) consolidation of power in a handful of trucking companies whose poor treatment of long-haul truckers during a pandemic caused a massive number of resignations. Inflation is real, but so are the decades of unchecked monopolistic practices that have exacerbated it. Lazy reporting with no context or holistic clarity is a hallmark of lazy reporting.
The American mainstream media wants to eat their cake and have it too.
They've somehow decided that a mix of dishonest "doom and gloom" reporting on the economy under the Biden administration,fears of a Republican return to power in Congress if the party wins big in the November midterms because of voter suppression laws, extreme gerrymandering & the filibustering of the Voting Rights Act by them & 2 traitors (Manchin & Sinema), and threat of domestic terrorism by individuals/groups with GOP links is the ONLY way to keep viewers & readers of news doomscrolling on their Twitter feeds, doomlistening on NPR & doomwatching on their televisions or laptops.
Seriously, people were already stressed out with Hair Farce One over the unhinged & bat-sh*t crazy messages coming from his Twitter account, press conferences, impromptu chopper talks, and interviews. Having Biden as president should've served as a necessary breather for the last four years.
However, when ratings & subscriptions went down, the media decided that financial bottomline was more important than mental health & well-being of its readers, viewers, listeners.
I understand your point, that the press isn’t fairly attributing the positive GDP and stock market to Biden, but to be honest, everyday people are faced with really high gas prices and really high grocery bills. That’s what people understand to be “the economy”. So while it’s true that things are going well in terms of “the government added a bunch of jobs” and “oh look at the GDP”, that’s not what people think about when they fill up their gas tank. Additionally, don’t dismiss the impact of someone’s raise being wiped out due to inflation. That does hurt. And many people didn’t even get a raise at all.
From one Eric to another,
In your coverage of the American mainstream media's dishonest "doom & gloom" reporting on the economy under the Biden administration, have you also seen how it affects other countries' perception on whether or not the American economy will help in the global economic recovery despite the continuing Covid-19 pandemic?
I ask this question because my father believes the American economy might enter into a bubble based on a Guardian column he read last week:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2022/jan/24/if-jeremy-grantham-is-talking-about-a-us-superbubble-we-should-listen
The reason why my father likes this article is that he wants the American economy to suffer so China would takeover as biggest player in the global economy.
Despite being born in the Philippines and spending most of his life here, my father has become pro-China because he doesn't like the colonial-era abuses committed by the Western powers against China, and his belief that it shouldn't be criticized by the same Western powers for aggressively flexing its economic, diplomatic and military power.
Anyway, he also believes Western media is biased against the Chinese government because they report on the country's horrible human rights record.
My father's mother came from China, but my siblings and I have to remind him that the Mainland Chinese don't consider people of Chinese descent who live outside the country as Chinese.