Michael Crichton predicted Mass Media's current fate in 1993 | Hacker News Reader

Michael Crichton predicted Mass Media's current fate in 1993

slate.com

17 pointsbtipling10 comments

I especially like the part where he trashes speculative and opinionated articles in the media in the midst of an article steeped in the former and speckled with the latter.

"the news" is a filter on the vast flow of data about what happens in the world everyday. it has been the traditional filter for so long that it is accepted as reality by nearly everyone. It is easier to control people than most think. You don't even have to lie, you just have to control which truths they are exposed to. Control the filter, control the people. This isn't especially sinister like progressives would have us believe. The corporations aren't out to create 1984. They just want to make profit. So they control our filter with profit as a motivation. What we want/believe is a filter that has truth as its motivation. The reason the media is dangerous is because people think it is latter while it is really the former. As soon as you realize that a source of data is trying to sell you something, that source should be immediately suspect.

Anyone read Crichton's novel 'State of Fear'? There is a lot of ridiculousness in those pages (along with a pretty weak plot), but his comments about Fearmongering in the media for profit made a lot of sense.

I just get tired of being told I need to be terrified about everything. I'm much more worried about being killed by heart disease rather than terrorists, but terrorism is sexier on the 6:00 news.

Congratulations. You are not the target of that kind of fear-mongering. IMHO, the majority of the people intelligent enough to be on HN aren't either. Books like 1984 and 'State of Fear' are intended for consumption by The Proles (to use the term from 1984 itself). They're intended to raise awareness for what's going on to those that willing trade liberty for a (false) sense of security. I think our bearing the presence of these books is well worth others waking up and smelling the coffee for the first time.

Right, I guess it's always been pretty obvious to most of us that the media uses fear for ratings. But there were some interesting examples in State of Fear that were new to me.

For me too - and, of course, 1984 was just brilliant. I personally enjoy reading this type of stuff; my only point above was just that if anyone's about to complain that this "fear mongering" is getting old they should think twice about the alternative. Alas, it seems people are of the opinion that I should be downmodded for expressing such a thought.

Avoid making sweeping generalizations about HN'ers and society at large. If you are using terms from 1984, and you are not a Prole, then you are an Outer Party member. How does that feel?

Stunningly true, although the time scale has increased. What we get these days via TV and print is gossip that parades as news. I turn to the web to get actual news and for this I visit websites of the news dailies in important countries.

US news outfits right from the 90s were and are pathetic. TV news is even worse. I don't need a shouting match and opinion shows which report bias as news.

/rant

Sorry for the rant below but yeah, I'm talking to you Faux News!

The BBC seems to be better, at least their anchors don't engage in pretended joviality with each other and their audience. I think the news shows should ask the anchors to stop their banter and read off the teleprompter but for the time when they are interviewing guests. I don't need to know whether you had a burst tyre or had to shovel snow to get to work. Just give me the news and get off of the screen.

/end of rant.

wow...next thing you know there'll be an island full of dinosaurs

They’re moving in herds. They do move in herds.

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