How They’re Doing It…
27 Dec
One quick example (as if you need one) of how mainstream media is using vocabulary irresponsibly to create an atmosphere of fear for the American consumer. This article from Reuters (usually a good source of positive news), highlights the decline in retail sales of 4% as reported by ONE source, during a holiday season shortened one week as compared to last year, and made more difficult by severe weather in the midwest and northeast… In addition they do not address the decline in sales as it was effected by steeper discounting this year. That being said, this decline of 4% has the title “Retailer’s holiday sales plummet 4%.” Really? is 4% a “plummet?” If I lose 7.6 pounds ( I weigh 190), would you say my weight is “plummeting?”
Let’s have some fun. What are some of the other derrogatories you’ve heard to describe our economy? Post the best you’ve heard, and on New Year’s Day I’ll pick the top two (yes it will be subjective) and send each of you one of my new coffee mugs “Keeping It Positive” soon to be available on cafepress…and a half pound of my favorite locally roasted coffee…
Tags: main, mainstream media, media manipulation, online competition
I just wanted to add another headline that makes me angry – “Jobless Claims at a 26 Year High”.
You cannot meaningfully compare NUMBERS of claims if there are more people in the work force -
Some do bury this sentence far down in the article – “That’s also the highest level of claims since November 1982, though the work force has grown by about half since then.”
Dead on Julie. It’s like saying “look how heavy American’s get as they grow older” I’ve gained 180 pounds in the past 44 years, therefore I must an enormous person, right? Thanks for stopping by. The press could report that 94% of American’s that want jobs, have jobs…. Now that’s a headline I could get behind.
I’m shooting for For the Coffee Mug!
1. The US financial “Meltdown”… a recession maybe… not a meltdown
2. “The Tremors of Economic Calamity”… give me a break!
3. “The Economy in Plunder”…
4. “The Prophesied End-Time Revealed” – The prophesied end-time reveals the demise of the United States and the beginning of man’s final war.
5. “The End of Order as we know it.” 2009 will begin with more acts of terrorism, along with natural disasters, that will far exceed the devastation of 9/11
Ok, enough already!!
GNE
http://www.goodnewseconomist.com
The dude abides….great entry…