The circle of words When words are used to say nothing or used to complicate meaning.
Language is something we use every day to communicate ideas, information and knowledge. The more we know about the tools of communication and persuasion used by our political advisers and such like the more we are equipped to asses what we should and should not be worried about.
5.4
What’s on the news
Does the news tell you what you need to know? If you tried the exercise mentioned earlier your answer is probably. Not a lot that is of use.
The illusion of debate is what takes up most of the space in the media especially the news. Most of the rubbish people watch on TV can be taken as such. But the news, the news is serious.
The spinning rostrum cameras the flashy backgrounds, tacky furniture, voice-over, background music, simpleton grafts and graphics, personality profiles, sport, personal tragedy, mundane or meaningless film clips, experts and boffin’s, bias business interests, broken up by quiz show type sound bites and adverts. This is what the news has become.
When the news get around to the real news (business news) it’s as if the people it will affect do not exist unless it’s an article to scare them, or impending unemployment, which incidentally never seems to be framed as the fault of the employer (another exercise)
In the news we are served up facts and figures, workforce statistics, world economics, capital flow and stuff, that – You stupid people wouldn’t understand but will probably be paying for.
Try watching or listening to the news for the mention of one statement that affects ordinary people that has no strings attached. Such as “Every pensioner will receive an extra five pounds a week benefit, period.” It never happens. If you want worthwhile news you need to dig deeper or concentrate on reading between the lines.(another radical thinking exercise). And with the question. Is there really a debate and are we involved?