[Politics] Effing Trump and the Media.

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

I basically agree that we should not forget to focus on policy rather than just what people say about one another. Trump escalating tensions with Iran and racking up the deficit to give tax breaks to those who don't need it, to take two examples, are far worse than any insulting tweet could be. It is important to see though, that in this case the two are related. The idea that people who aren't white should go back to where they came from is precisely what motivates all these restrictions on migration and assylumseeking. The personal hateful bigotry and the systematic cruelty towards migrants go hand in hand.

Undoubtedly, in the grand scheme of things, a tweet from almost anyone else is meaningless.

A tweet from an individual like Trump, who's been quoted at many hate rallies that are growing in frequency and quantity is just as dangerous as any of his political actions.

Either he gets us in a war with another country, or he starts another civil war. Either way, both aren't good.

 

[Eacaraxe_v1legacy]

Snip.

First, yes, there is causation present, the link between media consolidation and the telecoms act. The enactment of the telecoms act was sine qua non for media consolidation (media companies were prohibited from consolidating in the way they have prior to it), therefore the link between the two is causal.

If A and B have a correlative link, and C a causative link to A, while C does not necessarily cause B it is still a valid policy proposal to solve for B by eliminating C. In this case, attempting to solve for political polarization, media illiteracy, and media malfeasance, by re-regulating the media.

Second, the first link (polarization and media habits) does address the issue of social media, in section 2 [https://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/section-2-social-media-political-news-and-ideology/] (page 3). The stated position is that, essentially, end users self-curate echo chambers. Which is nothing new or surprising, and the quite obvious missing link in any contemporary discussion of media consumption via social media.

Along with the fact neither Facebook, Twitter, nor any other social media service has their own news service. They serve as aggregators for news from outside sources as shared via hyperlink, from major news outlets or not. It is disingenuous at best to discount that by simply saying "people get their news from social media".

Now, with regards to social media and user-driven content platforms like Youtube, the question of the day is whether we must consider them platforms or publishers moving forward. The big tech companies have made their positions known, they want to have their cake and to eat it too; they want platforms' branding and freedom from liability, but want publishers' prerogative to curate content and user as well. The center cannot and will not hold on this, and indeed it should not.

If we are to consider social media and user-driven content providers as publishers moving forward, then indeed they can and should be subject to the same regulation as other forms of media. If we are to consider them platforms, then we have no recourse but to advocate for and promote media literacy and critical thinking education in the populace. It's my belief we should do the latter regardless, but I believe we should consider social media and user-driven content providers as platforms, and subsequently prohibit viewpoint-based discrimination in access or privilege to create and share content.

Americans' shoes are covered in shit right now because they can't tell shit from shinola. You don't fix that by taking the shit away, they'll always find more shit to smear on their shoes. You fix it by teaching them the difference so they stop smearing shit on their shoes in the first place.

 

[Gergar12_v1legacy]

Joe Scarborough on MSNBC wouldn't shut up about Trump, and now he's defending the squad. Bulltshit.

Now to be fair I disagree with the squad on some issues like MMT/Modern Monetary Policy, and US military spending but they are like America's fruits, and vegetables after America ate the bad red meat aka the Tea Party.

One half the media/political side has been brought off by Murdoch, Koch, and Sheldon Adelson, etc. And the other half by Steyer, and Soros.

 

[CaitSeith]

It's my belief we should do the latter regardless, but I believe we should consider social media and user-driven content providers as platforms, and subsequently prohibit viewpoint-based discrimination in access or privilege to create and share content.

Including the viewpoints against media literacy and critical thinking, and that shit and shinola are the same? Because that has been one of the most prevalent viewpoints in twitter for several years.