Comment by specialist | Hacker News Reader

Comment by specialist | Hacker News Reader

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Thanks.

I've been reading about innumeracy and lame press coverage my entire adult life. Ditto how to lie with stats, charts, maps.

Clearly, shaming and scolding from the sidelines hasn't compelled anyone to improve.

It's almost as though there's another force at work, silently undermining reason, relentlessly overwhelming rational discourse. Like some nefarious hidden incentive structures which reward attention getting over honest discourse. But every time I've broached the topic, I get ridiculed. (One actual quote is "sweaty, paranoid kook". True story.)

Since I just yell at the TV and shriek at the newspaper, which helps no one, I've mostly opted out.

I'm eager for any and all notions, no matter how blue sky, for how to do better. Because I'm completely fresh out of ideas. And exhausted.

> It's almost as though there's another force at work, silently undermining reason, relentlessly overwhelming rational discourse.

There is - it's called the profit motive, and in journalism produces the incentive to write clickbait.

This is pretty well established, I don't understand why you have had negative experiences broaching this as discussions of clickbait happen all the time online.

Generally, criticizing the people profiting from the racket, to their faces, is poorly received. And they buy ink by the gallon, as the cliché goes.

> It's almost as though there's another force at work, silently undermining reason, relentlessly overwhelming rational discourse. Like some nefarious hidden incentive structures which reward attention getting over honest discourse. But every time I've broached the topic, I get ridiculed. (One actual quote is "sweaty, paranoid kook". True story.)

The term you're looking for is "manufacturing consent". I highly recommend Herman and Chomsky's book by the same name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent

Sorry, off topic...but I have to ask: "Sweaty?"

Editorial interview. Summer time. 95F. Inadequate A/C in old warehouse converted to offices. Us candidates wearing suites and ties. Snarky hipster douchebags in shorts and t-shirts.

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