Have you heard the news about this teacher? Apparently this kid took a recorder to his high school social studies class, and taped his teacher raving and ranting about Bushy, seemingly unprovoked. He took it home and shared it with his father, telling him the whole thing made him feel uncomfortable. The 20 minute portion of the tape has been played all over the radio. Taken alone, yes, it does seem as though this teacher is a little crazy. What teacher in his right mind would do such a thing nowadays? Contrary to popular opinion, teachers are very bright. It's strange.
Unfortunately, only one side of this story has been spread all over the media. Here's the real story. The kid who brought the recorder also came prepared with a number of strange and leading questions for this teacher. He asked all of them, and the teacher answered, not really knowing how to handle the situation, and also expressing his discomfort and the fact that everything he said was his opinion, and not necessarily correct. The kid then took the 20 minute 'edited' portion of the tape to his parents who shopped it around to right-wing groups. Pretty unbelievable, right? Yet this reporter, publishing an article in the Denver Post, didn't bother to check out all sides of this story. She reacted solely on one perspective. This kid is pretty determined to spread this story all over the media...that should be a red flag right there. If he really felt violated, he wouldn't be all over the place.
I think it's complete crap, yet totally representative of what's happening in our media today. They're allowed to run around and report on whatever the hell they want, constantly making mistakes and selectively reporting on what they want the public to see. Then, when the entire story comes out, and they're wrong, nothing! No retraction, no apology. It's repulsive.
Take the Barry Bonds story. I think it's pretty obvious he was doping, but really, who knows? Certainly not these reporters who wrote the book alleging he did it. They can make educated guesses, especially since they were (or are) investigative reporters in San Francisco, but they can't say for sure, for a fact, that he was doping. Yet it's all over the newspapers.
Also take the example of the bouncer in New York under suspicion of raping/torturing/murdering that college student. I'll admit, he does seem suspicious. The police are probably on to something, but who knows for sure besides that bouncer? No one does. Yet he's as good as guilty as far as the media is concerned. What if he's innocent? Will the papers print a story about that, will the nightly news air a retraction? Of course not. As far as the public is concerned, this guy is guilty, and his life is probably ruined whether he's found innocent or guilty.
Don't get me wrong, I love the news. I'm online all the time reading it, and watch the news every morning. But I know enough to take it with a grain of salt. I don't believe things based on one news story. I just think our media outlets should be more responsible about what they print or air. It's become more for entertainment than for facts, or even unbiased reporting. That's evident when the first story on the nightly news is about death, destruction, terrorism, etc. each and every night. You gotta rope people in, right? It's all about the ratings, and none about common sense or correctness.
I'm against censorship, and feel the media has the right to do what they want. But when they're deliberately misleading people for their own gain, it's just not right. It's disgusting.
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