Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Quote of the Day: Don’t Read the Newspapers!
“The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.” — Thomas Jefferson
As we look at the disgrace that we call “the newspaper,” it’s easy to appreciate the wisdom of Jefferson’s comments. Back in his time, the publications made little effort to be ethical or objective. Personal attacks were rampant, rumors were popular and reputations were damaged. But at least to some degree, people knew what they were reading, knew what to expect, and probably ingested those rags with a grain of salt.
Over the years we were led to believe that newspapers had matured, become more reliable, ethical, and truthful. I have no idea who shaped those reports, but newspapers were supposed to be the watchdogs of government, protecting us from its abuse and misrepresentation. And to some degree, we bought the publishers’ stories; their occasional efforts to burnish their reputations were supported by their dogged reporting about scandals and controversies. But they exploited our trust and manipulated our thinking.
Today’s newspapers are more rags than in the days of Thomas Jefferson.
Newspapers will never recover.
Published in Group Writing
Newspapers, now that the are essentially a political monoculture, are awful. Television is worse, and for the same reason. I’ve been telling people for years that television news makes you less smart, and I believe it.
I do watch Bret Baer on Fox News. He gets it wrong sometimes, and is sometimes too careful (although it is the news), but I think he tries to get it right most of the time.
I’ve experienced personally the Gell-Mann amnesia effect, which provides another reason not to trust the press. Michael Crichton coined the term:
Fascinating! I’ve not heard of that phenomenon; good to keep in mind. Thanks, James.
The people who rely on what they see in their personal experience acquire more truth than those who are absorbing what is delivered in the education system and by public and social media. Add to those untruthful sources the Biden Administration’s untruthful statements in their attempts to support their policies that can be seen as truly having devastating impacts on our society. Liberals need to open their eyes and stop listening to all the false propaganda led by the efforts of the climate control movement and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Yeah, howdy. Like so many wise sayings I read at this stage of life I forgot it and oughtn’t or didn’t learn it and ought.
. . . and now you have! Well done!
That may be true, but is it an improvement over spending the time with a book, instead?
But don’t worry. The genius fact-checkers, whom we can totally trust, have assured us that vaccines work, masks work, Biden is honest and competent, 2020 was the best election ever, and as for inflation–hey, look, Ukraine!
Thank goodness for the fact-checkers!!
There will always be newspapers so long as there are bird cages.
I think as long as we read the bylines and remember that there are real people writing news stories, then we can evaluate the truth of what we’re reading. But obviously so many “journalists” today have abandoned any attempt at seeking or reporting truth.
********
There are still 10 days in April to sign up for a Quote of the Day post.