News is news; that is a report on events, people and concepts. Opinion is a personal view depending which side of the elephant you are standing on and talking about. When a group or individual uses the media to report falsehoods to create a public opinion contrary to the current reality, they do so at a disadvantage to the whole. This is not to say opinion and differences are unacceptable, for it is the American way. That is not at debate. What is at debate is the slanted view of controversy, often controversy, which does not exist. I can think of thousands of examples and you can too.
As the media becomes too competitive and so many sources, we are finding more stretching of the truth, more outrageous views points which are debated and interviewers which project opinion. Which is fine as long as it is stated as opinion. Many media outlets on TV do this; many do not. When you look at the AP and where the articles come from and if you have any idea of the area you will well realize that such a slanted article will be happily digested by the local populations because it fits their socio economic viewpoint for instance the Village outside Chicago, West Side Los Angeles, Scottsdale AZ, D.C., Boston, NYC or Kansas City KS. But when it is thrust onto the AP it ends up in places where Americans have a different viewpoint. A different Colony so to speak, with a different demographic make-up and underlining set of ideals. In many cities that are larger those citizens are adapted to different points of view and are a lot harder to change fundamental views on any one issue. When diverse opinions abound and bombardment of so many sources tends to give a more well-rounded set of thoughts on subject matter and thus opinion can stay opinion even if it is thrust into the mainstream as factual news.
Which obviously makes one question if factual news can exist at all and after this discussion you may come to view my OPINION as your truth of the issue of news or perhaps it will open your eyes incase one of them is currently closed. You should open your eyes, close your mouth and observe what is real news and what is merely opinion. If you accept the news as news without questioning it, you have surrendered your opinion, your vote and your mind to the Mass Media and you have joined 90% of the population. If not, you are one of us who can agree to disagree; think about it.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/