Weapons of Destruction

[Durrak]

Media manipulation exploits the difference between perception and reality. The media was long a trusted source of information for the public. Today, all the barriers that made it reliable have broken down. Yet the old perceptions remain. If a random blog is half as reliable as a New York Times article that was fact checked, edited and reviewed by multiple editors, it is twice as easy to get coverage on. So manipulators (myself included) play the volume game. We know that if we can generate enough online buzz people will assume that where there is smoke there is fire…and the unreal becomes real.

This all happens because of the poor incentives. When readers don’t PAY for news, the creators of the news don’t have any loyalty to the readers either. Everything is read one off, passed around on Facebook and Twitter instead of by subscription. As a result, there is no consequence for burning anyone. Manipulators can deceive journalists because journalists are not held responsible for deceiving readers.
To combat these manipulations, we must change the incentives. If we want loyalty to the truth, we must be loyal to the people who provide us with it—whoever they are. This probably means paying for information in one form or another. It means we have to be more patient. Good information takes time to acquire after all. The idea that news can be given to us iteratively and reliably is preposterous.

 

[Kompromat]

wars are planned by corporations, prepared by politicians, planned by generals, sold by media, fought by soldiers, fictionalized by authors, and fed to people, who pride over it in the name of patriotism regardless of the costs.

Just my own opinion.

 

[Leader]

option 1 can get you killed, option 2 cannot kill you, but wont let you live.

 

[zakriaarshad]

wars are planned by corporations, prepared by politicians, planned by generals, sold by media, fought by soldiers, fictionalized by authors, and fed to people, who pride over it in the name of patriotism regardless of the costs.

Just my own opinion.

Of course any battle is sold before being fought....... So the media is more dangerous.............No war can be started unless minds of masses have been made ready......

 

[Durrak]