David Hoffman | Does The News Present The Truth? The FACTS? My Experience. @DavidHoffmanFilmmaker | Uploaded July 2024 | Updated October 2024, 8 hours ago.
Of course this presents my point of view towards journalism and the facts and the truth. I was being interviewed by a member of the press for a national television special on that subject, and this was my answer. I am not alone among influential thinkers who share the view that news often reflects subjective perspectives rather than objective truths
George Orwell: "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations." Orwell emphasized the idea that much of what passes for journalism is actually a form of propaganda, serving the interests of those in power rather than uncovering objective truths.
John Pilger: "The role of the media is not to see themselves as cheerleaders for those in power, but to be watchdogs on behalf of the public." Pilger, an investigative journalist, criticizes mainstream media for often failing to hold power to account and instead perpetuating the perspectives of the powerful.
Edward R. Murrow: “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful." Murrow, a pioneering broadcast journalist, stressed the importance of credibility and truth in journalism, acknowledging the challenge of maintaining these ideals in the face of various biases and pressures.
Michael Parenti: "The enormous gap between what U.S. leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology." Parenti, a political scientist and media critic, highlights the disparity between reality and public perception, shaped largely by media narratives.
Chris Hedges: "The press is supposed to be the great corrective, the grand check on power and the abuse of power. But as the press has degenerated into a class of courtiers, this function has been erased." Hedges, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, critiques the media for failing in its role as a check on power, instead becoming complicit in perpetuating certain viewpoints.
Walter Cronkite: "In seeking truth, you have to get both sides of a story." Cronkite, often referred to as "the most trusted man in America," emphasized the necessity of presenting multiple perspectives to approach a more balanced and truthful narrative.
Marshall McLuhan: A communication theorist, McLuhan famously stated, "The medium is the message." He believed that the form of media influences how information is perceived and that media has a profound impact on society's views and behaviors.
Hunter S. Thompson: The creator of "Gonzo journalism," Thompson blurred the lines between factual reporting and personal perspective, often injecting his subjective views into his narratives.
Glenn Greenwald: A journalist and co-founder of The Intercept, Greenwald frequently critiques mainstream media for its biases and lack of transparency, advocating for a more honest and accountable approach to journalism.
Walter Lippmann: A journalist and political commentator, Lippmann wrote "Public Opinion," where he discussed the limitations of news as an accurate representation of reality and the role of stereotypes and preconceived notions in shaping public perception.
If this subject matter is of interest to you please support my efforts to present more similar subjects by clicking the Thanks button below the video screen.
DAVID HOFFMAN filmmaker
Of course this presents my point of view towards journalism and the facts and the truth. I was being interviewed by a member of the press for a national television special on that subject, and this was my answer. I am not alone among influential thinkers who share the view that news often reflects subjective perspectives rather than objective truths
George Orwell: "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations." Orwell emphasized the idea that much of what passes for journalism is actually a form of propaganda, serving the interests of those in power rather than uncovering objective truths.
John Pilger: "The role of the media is not to see themselves as cheerleaders for those in power, but to be watchdogs on behalf of the public." Pilger, an investigative journalist, criticizes mainstream media for often failing to hold power to account and instead perpetuating the perspectives of the powerful.
Edward R. Murrow: “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful." Murrow, a pioneering broadcast journalist, stressed the importance of credibility and truth in journalism, acknowledging the challenge of maintaining these ideals in the face of various biases and pressures.
Michael Parenti: "The enormous gap between what U.S. leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology." Parenti, a political scientist and media critic, highlights the disparity between reality and public perception, shaped largely by media narratives.
Chris Hedges: "The press is supposed to be the great corrective, the grand check on power and the abuse of power. But as the press has degenerated into a class of courtiers, this function has been erased." Hedges, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, critiques the media for failing in its role as a check on power, instead becoming complicit in perpetuating certain viewpoints.
Walter Cronkite: "In seeking truth, you have to get both sides of a story." Cronkite, often referred to as "the most trusted man in America," emphasized the necessity of presenting multiple perspectives to approach a more balanced and truthful narrative.
Marshall McLuhan: A communication theorist, McLuhan famously stated, "The medium is the message." He believed that the form of media influences how information is perceived and that media has a profound impact on society's views and behaviors.
Hunter S. Thompson: The creator of "Gonzo journalism," Thompson blurred the lines between factual reporting and personal perspective, often injecting his subjective views into his narratives.
Glenn Greenwald: A journalist and co-founder of The Intercept, Greenwald frequently critiques mainstream media for its biases and lack of transparency, advocating for a more honest and accountable approach to journalism.
Walter Lippmann: A journalist and political commentator, Lippmann wrote "Public Opinion," where he discussed the limitations of news as an accurate representation of reality and the role of stereotypes and preconceived notions in shaping public perception.
If this subject matter is of interest to you please support my efforts to present more similar subjects by clicking the Thanks button below the video screen.
DAVID HOFFMAN filmmaker
