Fact x Importance = News

[Serebii]

Nah, she was a bigot.

So, asking about their ridiculously realised immigration policy which allows people from Europe to come over here and just sponge off of our benefits, without even bothering to get a job, is classed as bigotry now?

 

Well, now I know.

[Pookiablo]

So, asking about their ridiculously realised immigration policy which allows people from Europe to come over here and just sponge off of our benefits, without even bothering to get a job, is classed as bigotry now?

 

Well, now I know.

 

It's not ridiculous, it's part of being in the freakin' EU. We can move to France or Germany and sponge off our their benefits if we want to. Everyone always sees it from only our bloody point of view. It applies to all. It's greater freedom of movement and it's there for reason. Movement of labour is no longer restricted, making it easier for people to work across borders and so on. Yes, I know, people hate the Poles and Romanians for coming over, but many that do are hard-working and do earn money - jesus, we're short on many trades in this country and they've been plugging the gap. Plus, I'm sure there's plenty of jobs over there where skilled people like our supposed-selves can go and help out and earn a nice package in the process. Plus, my altruistic nature tells me we should be helping the fuckers anyways, they suffered for 40 years or so under Communism while we trundled along in self-interest.

 

And it probably isn't bigotry, but it's taking a very typical example that applies to a minimum of people who come over here and making it something it's not.

[The fish]

It's not ridiculous, it's part of being in the freakin' EU. We can move to France or Germany and sponge off our their benefits if we want to. Everyone always sees it from only our bloody point of view.

 

Couldn't agree with you more.

 

Funnily enough, the friend of mine who's the most "bloody scroungers" is also the most outspoken in opposition to any hint of Republicanism I ever give.

[Serebii]

It's not ridiculous, it's part of being in the freakin' EU. We can move to France or Germany and sponge off our their benefits if we want to. Everyone always sees it from only our bloody point of view. It applies to all. It's greater freedom of movement and it's there for reason. Movement of labour is no longer restricted, making it easier for people to work across borders and so on. Yes, I know, people hate the Poles and Romanians for coming over, but many that do are hard-working and do earn money - jesus, we're short on many trades in this country and they've been plugging the gap. Plus, I'm sure there's plenty of jobs over there where skilled people like our supposed-selves can go and help out and earn a nice package in the process. Plus, my altruistic nature tells me we should be helping the fuckers anyways, they suffered for 40 years or so under Communism while we trundled along in self-interest.

 

And it probably isn't bigotry, but it's taking a very typical example that applies to a minimum of people who come over here and making it something it's not.

No. The EU allows for people to easily go to the other countries TO WORK. Not to mooch.

 

If it were the case that every country in the EU did that, then it wouldn't be an issue now would it? England is the only country to give benefits so freely to the immigrants it lets in.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Serebii

[The fish]

No. The EU allows for people to easily go to the other countries TO WORK. Not to mooch.

 

If it were the case that every country in the EU did that, then it wouldn't be an issue now would it? England is the only country to give benefits so freely to the immigrants it lets in.

 

Someone really needs to put down their copy of the Daily Mail...

[chairdriver]

The fact everyone wants to come to the UK is a positive thing.

 

Its only because our obsession with ownership that we deem we have any authority to dictate who can and can't walk where. We've constructed these nations, and see them as the be-all-end-all, because we are forever stuck in primally tribal "mine" mode.

 

Saying to people "you can't come here" only worsens the problem.

[Pookiablo]

No. The EU allows for people to easily go to the other countries TO WORK. Not to mooch.

 

If it were the case that every country in the EU did that, then it wouldn't be an issue now would it? England is the only country to give benefits so freely to the immigrants it lets in.

 

Funny that because when I was living in Germany and France I was able to claim benefits, despite the fact that I was only living for a 6 month period in each on internships. So no, you're completely wrong. The French system, albeit very bureaucratic, helps many people who earn under a certain amount or nothing at all.

 

Also, immigration brings in more money than it costs. Otherwise it wouldn't occur. States operate in self-interest, it's a fact of political realism. They're not charities, despite your ignorant view. Argue all you want about "spongers" and what-not, the majority of folk who come over here pay their taxes and aid the economy. We need immigration in order to prosper and I can find numerous sources that say so (not gonna waste my time proving your simpleton view wrong though).

 

And try not to get me infracted this time, it's not my fault if you're gonna argue something so completely and utterly wrong.

[Serebii]

Someone really needs to put down their copy of the Daily Mail...

I don't read the Daily Mail. I am purely impartial and am completely against how the media misleads everyone. That is why I didn't get onto my Multimedia Journalism Masters degree. I stated in an interview (they asked my opinion) about how I felt about the current media situation. The media have a mandate to inform, not to trick and mislead. It should always be absolutely impartial

[nightwolf]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10227429.stm

 

Holy crap. How does a man go from being a nice guy to shooting 12 innocent people. Christ.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

That's insane. It's like something taken out of a horror movie.

[Debug Mode]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10227429.stm

 

Holy crap. How does a man go from being a nice guy to shooting 12 innocent people. Christ.

 

Cumbria can be a pretty mind numbingly boring place.

[Ashley]

I don't read the Daily Mail. I am purely impartial and am completely against how the media misleads everyone. That is why I didn't get onto my Multimedia Journalism Masters degree. I stated in an interview (they asked my opinion) about how I felt about the current media situation. The media have a mandate to inform, not to trick and mislead. It should always be absolutely impartial

 

Yeah but the BBC are the only ones with a specific remit not to be bias. All the others can claim they are still fulfilling informative remits.

 

(they're just doing it badly)

[Serebii]

Yeah but the BBC are the only ones with a specific remit not to be bias. All the others can claim they are still fulfilling informative remits.

 

(they're just doing it badly)

Yeah, and it's wrong for that. I maintain that almost all of the problems in the last decade have been made worse by the media.

 

The credit crisis...Was just at top level bank people at first, media got hold of it, people stopped spending and the whole country went into a depression.

The whole terror issue. The fact that the media has scared the whole population has meant they have one. Terrorists aren't there to kill you persay, their sole intent is to scare you into a change in your way of life, and in that regard, they have succeeded with help from the media.

Climate change is another. Yes there's an issue here if you manage to find a scientist not paid off by the government, but the media paints it as a "We'll all die in X years if Y doesn't happen".

Cancer risk things too. Every week the media reports on something new causing cancer. One ridiculous thing I saw a few months back is cooking meat with a grill causes it. It scares the public needlessly.

 

It's disgusting how the whole information age is abused by bias, fear mongering and general misinformation. What's worse is that the general population are so mentally delinquent that they buy into it all.

 

I know you're interested into getting into the media, as I am, but still, you cannot deny that they abuse their power so much. They put a negative spin on everything and make people generally depressed and scared.

[MoogleViper]

Yeah, and it's wrong for that. I maintain that almost all of the problems in the last decade have been made worse by the media.

 

I don't think that many people will disagree with you on that.

[Serebii]

I don't think that many people will disagree with you on that.

The person who interviewed me for my MA apparently didn't agree. :P

[Ashley]

Perhaps he interpreted you/your responses as "someone who hates the media and wants to rant" rather than "someone who is distrusting of the media and is willing to explore".

[Serebii]

Perhaps he interpreted you/your responses as "someone who hates the media and wants to rant" rather than "someone who is distrusting of the media and is willing to explore".

I didn't go off on one like earlier, but I did say, and I paraphrase, that I felt that the media is in a position to do good, but as of late tends to have a negative slant that can mislead people.

[Dan_Dare]

The person who interviewed me for my MA apparently didn't agree. :P

 

Did they tell you that explicitly or is it conjecture on your part?

[Serebii]

Conjecture. Why else wouldn't they want me? I am a multimedia journalist already. I've got loads of articles under my belt and a website that requires me to research and report on news continually. This was just to make me get a better job in the future and to take another step in the Joe grand plan of making my name into an eyechart.

[Dan_Dare]

Well they could have had other reasons. in fact, someone's opinions on the media (validly held, I know what you mean myself and I'm doing a journalism MA) is quite a poor reason to not accept someone. It'd be unprofessional. I'd just have expected a better reason not to accept someone from an academic position, especially as they interviewed you.

[Serebii]

True, I really wish they had given me the reason. It could have been that they just thought I was a blogger trying to get into a different field.

 

Originally, I had applied for the BA in Multimedia Journalism, but based upon my experience in the field already, they suggested and referred my application to the people running the Masters.

[Dan_Dare]

Which course was it, out of curiosity?

 

aside: I was having a chat with my tutor who was vetting applicants for next year's BA intake a few weeks ago and some girl's dad had emailed to try and get his daughter enrolled because she'd applied for Sheffield Hallam instead of University of Sheffield (both do journalism, UoS do it much better)

 

so essentially:

 

You want to be a journalist and you can't even tell two universities apart on a really long winded application process.

 

You want the other institution to give you a place so you get your dad to sort it out for you?

 

Good luck!

[Serebii]

It was the MA Multimedia Journalism here at Bournemouth

Edited June 3, 2010 by Serebii

[Pookiablo]

The whole terror issue. The fact that the media has scared the whole population has meant they have one. Terrorists aren't there to kill you persay, their sole intent is to scare you into a change in your way of life, and in that regard, they have succeeded with help from the media.

 

Indeed. I believe it's what Wilkinson called a "symbiotic relationship". The fact that terrorists can rely on the media always reporting on terrorist incidents has often meant that terrorist attacks have become so spectacular for lack of a better word. By this I mean terrorists have to actually make their attacks so incredible just so that the media will pay attention, so yes, I certainly concur.

 

In a way it's kinda not the media's fault - ideally, the media would just ignore terrorism and not report on it, thus making it highly ineffective in terms of communicating a legitimate grievance. However, would that count as not appropriately informing the public? But, as you imply, it's really down to the way in which it's presented to us - why does the media so intently focus on trying to scare us with terrorism, when in reality, it's not that big a deal (it kills a ridiculously insignificant amount of people in comparision to other much deadlier events).

Edited June 4, 2010 by Pookiablo
syntax

[Dan_Dare]

Yeah Thatcher called it "the oxygen of terrorism"- basically saying that terrorism does not function if you cut it out of the media. Interesting idea, but like you say the papers need to report what happens. You can't just stop covering something because you don't like it.