This is one of the big problems with the internet, and one of the few things I agree, it totally fucked up.
Long ago, the biggest way we got news was newspapers and late night news on the radio / tv. Journalists were able to get the news, but then had time to research it, fact check it, get sources, etc. Funding was also simple because they could run local ads, carry subscriptions, and often had loyal readers / listeners.
Due to the internet, the new measurement of success is CLICKS. The more clicks you have, the more money you make. There is so much competition now between news outlets, both national and local, that everyone has to be first to the party or they feel they won't get those sweet page views that feed the advertising lords. They need those pages up ten minutes ago so they can beat out the next local competitor and go viral, get all those clicks, and find the next way to get people sadmad at their headline to keep those clicks rolling in. Stephen Colbert said it himself once, Donald Trump is "great for business", not on a grand scale for our country, but that his escapades and bullshit get a lot of people watching all these late night comedy programs and reading all these ridiculous articles. High ratings, high clicks, high revenue.
What we NEED is, somehow, destroy the 24 hour news machine. Getting news for things like emergencies is fine, but right now journalists really can't even breath. They stutter for a moment, and Bill at the other newsroom already has ten million clicks of his report about how Donald Trump molested the Easter Bunny during quarantine.
It won't happen though, because A) advertising has and likely always will be the way the majority of everything media outside of movies is going to make money, and B) We as people gravitate towards only reading about the absurd. No one wants to read about the little girl that won the junior cake baking contest, we click on the link that says "Donald Trump eats sixteen hamburgers in front of secretary of state and vomits up a perfect ground beef replica of Jesus Christ." Until these things are fixed, the owners of all these news orgs are going to keep hunting those clicks / ratings.
Long ago, the biggest way we got news was newspapers and late night news on the radio / tv. Journalists were able to get the news, but then had time to research it, fact check it, get sources, etc. Funding was also simple because they could run local ads, carry subscriptions, and often had loyal readers / listeners.
Due to the internet, the new measurement of success is CLICKS. The more clicks you have, the more money you make. There is so much competition now between news outlets, both national and local, that everyone has to be first to the party or they feel they won't get those sweet page views that feed the advertising lords. They need those pages up ten minutes ago so they can beat out the next local competitor and go viral, get all those clicks, and find the next way to get people sadmad at their headline to keep those clicks rolling in. Stephen Colbert said it himself once, Donald Trump is "great for business", not on a grand scale for our country, but that his escapades and bullshit get a lot of people watching all these late night comedy programs and reading all these ridiculous articles. High ratings, high clicks, high revenue.
What we NEED is, somehow, destroy the 24 hour news machine. Getting news for things like emergencies is fine, but right now journalists really can't even breath. They stutter for a moment, and Bill at the other newsroom already has ten million clicks of his report about how Donald Trump molested the Easter Bunny during quarantine.
It won't happen though, because A) advertising has and likely always will be the way the majority of everything media outside of movies is going to make money, and B) We as people gravitate towards only reading about the absurd. No one wants to read about the little girl that won the junior cake baking contest, we click on the link that says "Donald Trump eats sixteen hamburgers in front of secretary of state and vomits up a perfect ground beef replica of Jesus Christ." Until these things are fixed, the owners of all these news orgs are going to keep hunting those clicks / ratings.
figmentPez
Staff member
How the fuck is this monster still in charge? How are his ramblings not clearly signs of incompetence to everyone?
Because the ones in the positions to do something about it refuse to do so, since it allows them to pursue their agenda unmolested, much like the shoplifter who sees a car catching on fire in the parking lot as an opportunity to stuff his pockets with merchandise while everyone else's attention is diverted.
THIS is the part that makes me say, "how can this be allowed to continue?" A competent Congress would've called "Bullshit!" and had Trump removed long ago.
--Patrick
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If only Congress could be held accountable.
Checks and balances out of balance
Only during elections. Otherwise they're only held accountable by the same people who decide their pay.
--Patrick
Sure we can't get a facepalm emoticon?
"People are dying"
"Ya but look at the ratings!"
"Ya but look at the ratings!"
Our world has become an Idiocracy/Max Headroom mash-up.
figmentPez
Staff member
He's bragging about how his followers trust him more than they trust the health professionals on the news. But I guess swindlers have always bragged about being able to find gullible marks.
That's pretty much why he does anything at all, isn't it?
"Cataclysmic effects for our ability to hold elections by mail..."
And there it is.
And there it is.
figmentPez
Staff member
Starting to realize that Trump doesn't intend to hold an election this year?
Only in some states, as the others are simply too much of a disaster zone. But don't worry, I'm sure it'll be representative.
figmentPez
Staff member
Oh, Congress. The legislative body that is composed of members serving two year terms, all of whom need to be reelected this year to continue serving. If you're going to argue that Trump is out and the Speaker of the House takes over.... Exactly which house is that going to be?
You're trying to apply legal wrangling to the actions of a con man. You can't cite paragraph 5 subsection B and hope that "point of order, you're only allowed to drink water or milk on the floor of Congress, you'll have to stop drinking the blood of the innocent" will work. My stance has never been that he'll simply stop the elections. It's that he doesn't intend to hold the elections because he intends to stay in power by any means necessary, and that his followers will believe any pretense he puts up, no matter how unbelievable or blatantly against the laws of this nation.
