corianderstem
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Ha. Thanks for confirming that.
The most trusted NEWS source in America?
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
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yolland
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As someone who grew up in Mississippi...I suspect a lot of Alabamians would take great offense at that.
Then again,
"Pretty much on board with," what a bizarrely flip way to characterize those findings.
Not sure quite how those compare to the national percentages.
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
After reading these statistics, and seeing clips of Romney's horrid, laughable, pathetic attempts to be "Southern" on TV earlier, I think this is the only suitable response to all of it:
^ those statistics are just...sad. but that just shows the state of public education in those two states (i know years ago mississippi was in last place, not sure if that's still true).
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
I'd heard that, too, about Mississippi. Even if it's not in last place anymore, it often hovers near the very bottom of the list. You'd think the state would want to do something about that.
i know. up until the mid-90s it had the excuse of not having much in the way of money, but that was why they legalised gambling. and it's brought in a lot of money for the state. sure revenue's down because of the economy, but that doesn't explain why back in 2002 they were still hovering at or near the bottom.
KhanadaRhodes said:
Throwing money at education systems can have an impact on some things. For instance, I went to a high school in a solidly upper-middle-class area, and high property tax revenue allowed the school to have a lot in the way of AP classes and whatnot, which put me into college with more than a year's worth of credit under my belt, and, more importantly, a lot of good preparation for hard college classes. And that is important. But I'm not convinced that it is the most important factor on a fundamental level. Even well-funded schools in impoverished areas (see: Washington, D.C.) tend to perform poorly. Unfortunately, I think the cycle of poverty really limits education for students born into it without tremendous regard to how schools are funded. And Mississippi and Alabama are states with relatively big poverty problems.
If they're anything like Texas, where I live, and another state that performs pretty poorly on national education rankings, then there's a pretty huge difference between schools in suburbia and urban/rural schools.
exactly. and despite that influx of money to mississippi thanks to gambling, most of the revenues have gone to the state and the casinos. those who'd been living in shacks previously who were unable to find work are either living in a slightly nicer shack, still unable to find work (due to their lack of education) or if they were able to be trained, they could get a minimum wage job. that's hardly breaking the cycle of poverty, and this is only in the parts of the state where there are casinos. if you live in, say, french camp, well...you're screwed.
yolland
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There are hardly any places in MS that qualify as "suburbia" with reference to what that evokes for school quality. Basically, you'd be talking northeast Jackson, western Hattiesburg, scattered neighborhoods in the coastal Gulfport area...that's about it. Those are also the only towns with populations over 50,000. Probably some of the spillover Memphis suburbs in DeSoto County have decent schools too, not sure about that. The thing is there's not much of a middle class most places in MS, just the poor and then the rich ("new money" and "old money," though the latter tend to exist as a small tier in smallish places like Natchez and Oxford, send their kids to private schools, and aren't much of a presence in the public school system).
I'm not sure how much school quality really has to do with the stats posted above, though. MS Democrats are products of the same schools, and I highly doubt many of them would say Obama's a "Muslim." I think often what people really mean when they say he is, isn't that they assume he attends a mosque, studies the Koran and prays to "Allah," but rather a much vaguer prejudice that he comes from a "foreign" background, clearly isn't one of "us" (Real Americans)--just look how he talks, dresses and comports himself--so therefore his true loyalties must be to the "foreigner" in him (if y'know what I mean, coughcough winkwink). Some might elaborate that after all his policies "favor" Muslims and "attack" Christians as further evidence. And many will say "he's a Muslim" simply out of spite or scorn, with little more than sentiment underlying it. Obviously these ways of thinking aren't unique to the Deep South, but it makes sense they'd be more pervasive there due to the longstanding historic influence of white supremacist rhetoric, which in the 20th century was obsessed with the image of menacing hordes of treacherous outsiders massing at the gates of Fortress WASP America. The interracial marriage stat, well, that too follows from this. I think the number of people who sincerely, literally mean they reject evolution probably is higher (and would also include many local Democrats), but there too you could probably subdivide into people who think 'God created the world in 6 days, period' vs. people who think 'I'm not sure how God made the world, but I know an unholy and amoral ideology when I see one.'
So much of the Deep South still lives in a siege mentality much of the time, and though large tracts of AL, LA and portions of other states fit that description well, it's probably more true of MS than anywhere else. It's no longer the thoroughgoingly aristocratic, paternalistic agrarian society it still was into the 1960s, but it hasn't yet settled into something distinctly new and different, either.
I'm not sure how much school quality really has to do with the stats posted above, though. MS Democrats are products of the same schools, and I highly doubt many of them would say Obama's a "Muslim." I think often what people really mean when they say he is, isn't that they assume he attends a mosque, studies the Koran and prays to "Allah," but rather a much vaguer prejudice that he comes from a "foreign" background, clearly isn't one of "us" (Real Americans)--just look how he talks, dresses and comports himself--so therefore his true loyalties must be to the "foreigner" in him (if y'know what I mean, coughcough winkwink). Some might elaborate that after all his policies "favor" Muslims and "attack" Christians as further evidence. And many will say "he's a Muslim" simply out of spite or scorn, with little more than sentiment underlying it. Obviously these ways of thinking aren't unique to the Deep South, but it makes sense they'd be more pervasive there due to the longstanding historic influence of white supremacist rhetoric, which in the 20th century was obsessed with the image of menacing hordes of treacherous outsiders massing at the gates of Fortress WASP America. The interracial marriage stat, well, that too follows from this. I think the number of people who sincerely, literally mean they reject evolution probably is higher (and would also include many local Democrats), but there too you could probably subdivide into people who think 'God created the world in 6 days, period' vs. people who think 'I'm not sure how God made the world, but I know an unholy and amoral ideology when I see one.'
So much of the Deep South still lives in a siege mentality much of the time, and though large tracts of AL, LA and portions of other states fit that description well, it's probably more true of MS than anywhere else. It's no longer the thoroughgoingly aristocratic, paternalistic agrarian society it still was into the 1960s, but it hasn't yet settled into something distinctly new and different, either.
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Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
For some reason the idea of money from casinos going to help fund stuff in one's state, including education, strikes me as really weird. It happens in states I've lived in, too, but there's something...off-putting about the idea to me. Gambling to help pay for education. Just seems strange.
I forgot about the poverty thing, that is a good point. My dad had family who lived in Mississippi, and he's been down in that area before, and he described it pretty similarly to how yolland does. There's still a lot of VERY "old South" mentality/living going on down there.
And thus come all the usual stereotypes about the South as a result. Which sucks.
I forgot about the poverty thing, that is a good point. My dad had family who lived in Mississippi, and he's been down in that area before, and he described it pretty similarly to how yolland does. There's still a lot of VERY "old South" mentality/living going on down there.
And thus come all the usual stereotypes about the South as a result. Which sucks.
INDY500
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Fox News, Al Qaeda's Least Favorite TV Network | Fox News
Sounds like Al Qaeda has been reading the previous 48 pages of this thread.
Or getting press releases from Media Matters.
Sounds like Al Qaeda has been reading the previous 48 pages of this thread.
Or getting press releases from Media Matters.
Canadiens1131
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News network posts piece about its own popularity. Talk about a circlejerk of an article.
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
And I care about what Al-Qaeda thinks of our news media (or anything else, for that matter) because...?
(I say that in response to Fox News's report, that's not directed at you, INDY
)
I'm quite certain there's more newsworthy stuff out there Fox News could/should be reporting on.
(I say that in response to Fox News's report, that's not directed at you, INDY
)I'm quite certain there's more newsworthy stuff out there Fox News could/should be reporting on.
Canadiens1131
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Cable news is terrible across the board. BBC, PRI, AND NPR across the board, baby.
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
It really kinda is, yeah (CNN...what the hell is going on with that network? Seriously? They're just embarrassing now).
We have BBC America, they show world news on there-I should check it out more often. And I read NPR stories on their site, I keep meaning to try and look for a radio station close to me that carries it.
We have BBC America, they show world news on there-I should check it out more often. And I read NPR stories on their site, I keep meaning to try and look for a radio station close to me that carries it.
PhilsFan
Blue Crack Addict
The media should not be privatized. Chasing ratings does not make for informative news coverage. If a democracy is based upon having informed citizens, than its media system should be obligated to inform. These media are not. They are obligated to make their parent companies lots of money.
I would agree with that on account of Fox and CNN (I don't know which I like less), but I don't think that private media is universally flawed... at least from my perspective, as a fan of The Economist. There are a lot of people who truly want to be informed in an intelligent way, and there are privately-owned news sources that definitely cater to that market, though some of them are nonprofit think tanks.
I think at least part of the problem lies on the demand side: people tend to not want particularly contemplative news.
PhilsFan
Blue Crack Addict
Both Fox and CNN are too right wing for my tastes, but Fox is clearly more willing to be disingenuous, and they have a large, loyal audience that takes them at their word, so they're certainly more disheartening (and potentially, at times, dangerous).
But for every Economist (I am not familiar, but I'll take your word that it is good), there are a thousand publications that are not doing what is best in the public's interest. It's not worth it.
But for every Economist (I am not familiar, but I'll take your word that it is good), there are a thousand publications that are not doing what is best in the public's interest. It's not worth it.
U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
You are right, PF. The media, almost all popular media, is a shithole.
Nearly one and the same.
Any for-profit media organization that needs a large demographic is going to be super dumbed down by default. Doesn't matter what the content specifically is.
And they (the ones that need the larger audiences) are all super capitalist.
Which really means that their 'Leftist agendas' are only a business technique.
The biggest sin they make, apart from rampant capitalism or any of that, is continuing to not hold elected officials accountable. We could deal with all the rest.
You'd think they'd love the 'scandal' involved in exposing the moral corruption, but really most of them are caught up in the same paradigm that ensures the paradigm never changes. In other words, if you start speaking against it, you're seen as a 'loon', because 'that ain't the way the game is played'. And in fact, that is the way the game is played. So they aren't wrong. They just lack the courage to fight it. Because they'd lose their partisan audiences that love that echo chamber.
I've come to the position that the best news source is any of them - as long as you truly know how to think for yourself. You can spot the bias in anything if you are really interested in truth. But bias isn't the worst sin in news, dishonesty and/or ignorance is. Plenty of that to go around, especially in Cable "News".
Nearly one and the same.
Any for-profit media organization that needs a large demographic is going to be super dumbed down by default. Doesn't matter what the content specifically is.
And they (the ones that need the larger audiences) are all super capitalist.
Which really means that their 'Leftist agendas' are only a business technique.
The biggest sin they make, apart from rampant capitalism or any of that, is continuing to not hold elected officials accountable. We could deal with all the rest.
You'd think they'd love the 'scandal' involved in exposing the moral corruption, but really most of them are caught up in the same paradigm that ensures the paradigm never changes. In other words, if you start speaking against it, you're seen as a 'loon', because 'that ain't the way the game is played'. And in fact, that is the way the game is played. So they aren't wrong. They just lack the courage to fight it. Because they'd lose their partisan audiences that love that echo chamber.
I've come to the position that the best news source is any of them - as long as you truly know how to think for yourself. You can spot the bias in anything if you are really interested in truth. But bias isn't the worst sin in news, dishonesty and/or ignorance is. Plenty of that to go around, especially in Cable "News".
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
Sounds like Al Qaeda has been reading the previous 48 pages of this thread.
Or getting press releases from Media Matters.
I don't think they need to do that to figure things out. They're pretty savvy, unfortunately. Tragically.
I wouldn't laugh at anything AQ says but "let her die in anger" is pretty funny. Maybe they could use that if they ever get tired of fair and balanced.
Bin Laden probably did like Fox and Friends
Scarletwine
New Yorker
LOL. This great reporting from Breitbart, Beck, ect. Now pulled of course.
Balloon Juice ? Blog Archive ? Even Better Than the Real Thing
Balloon Juice ? Blog Archive ? Even Better Than the Real Thing
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
OMG
Fox News' Heather Childers Tweets Link To Article: 'Did Obama Campaign Threaten Chelsea Clinton's Life?'
ox News anchor Heather Childers caused a stir on Twitter after she linked to a story suggesting that the Obama campaign may have threatened to murder Chelsea Clinton.
On Tuesday, Childers, who is a weekend and early morning anchor for the network, tweeted an article from godfatherpolitics.com titled, "Did Barack Obama Campaign Threaten Life of Chelsea Clinton to Keep Parents Silent on Obama’s Ineligibility?"
The article suggests that someone associated with then-Sen. Obama's 2008 election campaign threatened to kill Chelsea Clinton should President Clinton talk about "Obama’s birth certificate or lack thereof."
Other headlines from godfatherpolitics.com include "President Obama Channels Joseph Stalin and Attacks Supreme Court Justices" and "Alabama Supreme Court Justice Says Barack Obama Birth Certificate Would Not Stand Up in Court." Talking Points Memo, which highlighted the controversy on Tuesday called godfatherpolitics.com a "fringe conspiracy site" and "birther hub."
When Childers was criticized on Twitter for her message, Childers responded and said she was "asking for opinion."
Fox News' Heather Childers Tweets Link To Article: 'Did Obama Campaign Threaten Chelsea Clinton's Life?'
ox News anchor Heather Childers caused a stir on Twitter after she linked to a story suggesting that the Obama campaign may have threatened to murder Chelsea Clinton.
On Tuesday, Childers, who is a weekend and early morning anchor for the network, tweeted an article from godfatherpolitics.com titled, "Did Barack Obama Campaign Threaten Life of Chelsea Clinton to Keep Parents Silent on Obama’s Ineligibility?"
The article suggests that someone associated with then-Sen. Obama's 2008 election campaign threatened to kill Chelsea Clinton should President Clinton talk about "Obama’s birth certificate or lack thereof."
Other headlines from godfatherpolitics.com include "President Obama Channels Joseph Stalin and Attacks Supreme Court Justices" and "Alabama Supreme Court Justice Says Barack Obama Birth Certificate Would Not Stand Up in Court." Talking Points Memo, which highlighted the controversy on Tuesday called godfatherpolitics.com a "fringe conspiracy site" and "birther hub."
When Childers was criticized on Twitter for her message, Childers responded and said she was "asking for opinion."
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
Uh-huh.
For the love of god, CAN WE STOP WITH THE BIRTHER SHIT NOW?! Please? Just let that stupid issue fucking die already.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
The birther thing is one thing. Threatening to kill Chelsea Clinton is straight out of crazytown and makes the birther thing look normal by comparison.
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
Oh, yeah, definitely. Just seeing the birther thing rear its ugly head again makes me want to scream, is all.
Anywho, keep it classy, Fox News
.
Anywho, keep it classy, Fox News
.INDY500
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Anywho, keep it classy, Fox News
An employee of Fox News tweeting is hardly the same thing as broadcasting the story. Why not blame Twitter rather than FNC?
Or better yet, ignore any story that originates from Twitter, Facebook, drunk-dialing or sexting*.
* with the exception of congressional wieners.
Like FNC ignored Bill Maher's tweets...
Canadiens1131
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Right, so what ever happened to professionally representing the organization you work for in public, huh?
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
CNN just lifted the suspension of that Roland Martin guy, he was suspended for tweets during the Super Bowl. He tweeted that people should "smack the ish" out of any male fans of David Beckham's underwear commercial.
Network employes are representing the network when they're online, they really don't have that privacy. When employers are demanding Facebook passwords there's no more separation. If there ever was.
I don't blame Twitter or Facebook for what some adults are foolish enough to put on there.
Network employes are representing the network when they're online, they really don't have that privacy. When employers are demanding Facebook passwords there's no more separation. If there ever was.
I don't blame Twitter or Facebook for what some adults are foolish enough to put on there.
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