howdy. I'm working on a 12 page final paper for my media ethics class on a topic of my choice - I chose news media accuracy (or rather the lack of it) with the whole Jenkem scare that surfaced at the end of last year. If your'e unfamiliar please for the love of god watch this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UsNbsjpuLc I'm mostly looking for examples of media innaccracy from any time period, though the more recent the better (obviously). I'm particularly interested in cases in which the internet was (mis)used for finding sources for journalistic work or where sensationalism overrides the duty to research sources and information fully - for example, it seems pretty obvious that something was very wrong with the jenkem story just by vieweing that fox news report; and indeed, it turned out to be based on an internet hoax and some kid's parent reporting that her child informed her about kids talking about jenkem at her school. Anyone who has been involved in high school drug culture will probably immediately recognize this as being in the same vein as experienced stoners telling novices that you can smoke nutmeg to get high. Anyway, my point is fox news (and the myriad other agencies that published stories on this) should have recognized that something wasn't right with this story and researched it more throuroughly rather than using it just because it would get attention quickly and easily and cause a big scare. Another thing to consider is reliance on "official" or "government" sources - a few news agencies repeated the part of the collier county sheriff's memo that said jenkem is a popular drug in school accross america as fact - obviously it was not. The ONLY "official" reports of jenkem use come from a single city in Zambia in Africa. And even these originate from two very brief mentions in news articles, and then another more in depth article about Zambian street children using Jenkem, that we don't really have any way to verify. So we must note the possibility that even these reports of Jenkem use in Africa could possibly be false or fabricated (the in-depth report seemed a bit janky to me (ha ha), by that I mean it appears to be made up - though I have no way to prove this other than to try to contact the person who wrote the story, who, if I was lucky enough to get a hold of, obviously wouldn't admit the story was fabricated). Now, I've already got tons of information and articles about the jenkem phenomenon, so please don't give me any of that. What I need is other examples of similar innaccuracy in news media, particularly where it results from relying on sensationalism as a news value, faulty internet research, or reliance on "official" sources or other news media (if the first one to report something gets it wrong, and other agencies cite that original report, then the misinformation spreads). help?
Oh yeah, another angle I forgot to mention is outright fabrication. Check out this article - http://www.wsbt.com/news/11077771.html It contains this quote: "Dr. Sweeny says the immediate symptoms are lower blood pressure, a decreased heart rate and lowering respiratory drive. It is possible for someone to stop breathing after taking a hallucinogen. Jenkem can cause all those things to happen, but the long term effects are worse. They include brain damage, stroke-like symptoms, even destroying bone marrow to the point of developing leukemia. All of those things can happen from getting high off human feces and urine." Ok. .. Jenkem isn't even a real drug (at least in the United States), yet this news article is listing off symptoms and long term health problems it can cause? You might argue that they are talking about hallucinogens in general, and certainly the symptoms part is correct but. . . is there any credible literature anywhere that confirms that you get brain damage, stroke-like symptoms, and loss of bone marrow leading to leukemia from hallucinogens? And the way that paragraph is worded implies that Jenkem specifically is known to cause these things. Any similar examples of news media simply pulling information out of their asses? I'd like to know about them. by the way, scroll down and read the last two sentences of the article if you want a good laugh.
Methane gas, I guess? Television news is great at this kind of idiocy, the worst examples seemed to always be in Florida, but not in this case. They should make one of their "newscasters" sniff the shit (literally) to see if it actually does anything "Garbage can lids that don't fit snugly- how they can kill your children, tonight at 11. Paper cuts- the leading cause of some types of bacterial death, tonight at eleven. Marshmallows- the choking menace of death, after this commercial break. Bicycles- Are They Worth Your Child's LIFE?" I remember when some poor kid near Orlando, Florida, got caught with a (nitrous oxide) whippet, a dispenser, and a balloon. They had the TV news there, covering the big event- they actually interrupted whatever idiotic show was on to break the big news. Like it was the big bust of the year, this scary "new" (LOL) "dangerous inhalant" was "now threatening our children." The television news media in the US is a good example of an area in which free enterprise actually hurts the public interest, while some socialist nations actually get better, more timely, more accurate, and better-presented news (the BBC for instance, compared with "Joe Moron on Channel 2 News Where Choice News Is First And We're Your First Choice In News").
Just to give you a 'basic example sometimes the biggest inaccuracy in news media what is NOT talked about.American news stations like CNN the networks etc. rarely if ever have a truthfull story about the pharmaceutical companies and how bad they are.Reason being they 'Big Pharma advertises constantly on television.American media in years past was far more reliable.Now in many ways its almost similair to Al Jazeera.Just propaganda ,paid for by big business.No one should rely on mainstream American media 'anymore for anything.
Mainstream media is pure bull these days. Its all biased, all controlled by powerful people... The truth is so hard to find in this day and age and this society.
The ironic thing is American media,before the 24 hour news(infotainment) stations used to be quite good.But were going back at least 20 years now.
Jenkem, whether a real problem or not, is ridiculous. I mean, I like getting high and fucked up too, but human waste? come on now people, that's desperate and disgusting. What next; radioactive waste? I'm sure that stuff can fuck you up good.
I must agree with forrealz's view of CNN and their ilk. I avoid it as much as I can, but when I do watch, it always seems to have Glenn Beck or some other Nazi talking. Not any different from Fox, except Fox at least "looks good." It's well polished, carefully constructed propaganda.
