An Unfortunate Choice of Words
For some unknown reason, I was listening to NPR on the radio this morning. I heard a story talking about how it was Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday. Unfortunately what really stuck with me about the story was how they described him. The commentator described Mandela’s accomplishments as how he “fought against white minority rule”. Wow, what an unfortunate choice of words.
Today, less and less young people probably even know who Nelson Mandela is or what he did for freedom, not just in South Africa, but in the world. Sadly after listening to NPR what the unfamiliar would walk away with is that he was some guy who was opposed to minorities being in power over the majority… How would Obama feel about that sentiment?
Now it was NPR after all, so there’s obviously an understood agenda. James, in the 3rd chapter of his letter says “By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation..” [The Message] Well, here’s a prime example of NPR throwing mud on a reputation.
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Robert
says:
Added on July 24th, 2008 at 9:22 amI am avid listener of NPR….
Being from Massachusetts it’s almost encoded in my genes.
My car radio doesn’t need a tuner because 90.9 WBUR is the only station i care about.
For most of the last 20 years I have trusted NPR implicitly because in my opinion they were the best at giving me the news WITHOUT telling me how i should feel about. Amazingly, unlike mos of my fellow citizens, i am quite capable of forming my own opinions.
Lately, though I get the sense that NPR is sliding into the same trap that FOX and CNN are flailing in, and it’s disturbing.
I think journalism is becoming a lost art and we are sliding more and more to info-tainment, for which i have absolutely use and nothing but contempt for.
R.
BuddyO
(blog author) says:
Added on July 24th, 2008 at 3:05 pminfo-tainment is bad enough, but what is really a problem is that it is near impossible to get any unslanted news… in either direction.
This whole BS with every network big wig following Obama around the globe is sickening. They aren’t even trying to put up a front of being unbiased anymore.
I just got off the phone with a German customer. He was retelling his experience with Obama in Berlin today… very interesting take… very different than what is reported.
Christian Beyer
says:
Added on July 25th, 2008 at 10:24 amThat’s why the Internet is great. You can read the differing reports about the same event side by side. Who watches TV news anymore? I can’t get past the fact that they all look and act like pleasure models from Blade Runner - artificially enhanced faces, hair and bodies and bubbling over with over-acted artificial emotions.
Robert
says:
Added on July 27th, 2008 at 7:09 amFor some reason Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” is going through my head now!
“We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who Comes on at five
She can tell you bout the plane crash with a gleam In her eye
Its interesting when people die-Give us dirty laundry”
R.
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