tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post2710194008191777887..comments2024-03-11T15:46:13.155-04:00Comments on In The Arena: Ruminations About Competition: Michael Crichton: The Decline in Media Quality is a Threat to FreedomDavid Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08444347475303187373noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-33116898416865982242008-11-06T18:16:00.000-05:002008-11-06T18:16:00.000-05:00Anonymous (the first one):Crichton made his predic...Anonymous (the first one):<BR/><BR/>Crichton made his prediction in 1993 when the internet was in its infancy. Regardless of where his article was published, his prediction was right on the mark, even if he was a bit "early" in terms of the time frame he mentioned for the demise of mainstream media. <BR/><BR/>If you don't think that our national discourse has become more vituperative then you are not paying attention. As for environmentalists, whether or not you agree with Crichton's take on that particular subject, his larger point is that the media does not discuss issues in an intelligent manner.<BR/><BR/>Crichton's books were fictional and, as such, can rightly be expected to contain fictional/fantasy elements. That does not at all preclude them from providing insight about science, politics and society in general.<BR/><BR/>You appear to have completely overlooked the larger and very significant critiques that Crichton made about the way that the media operates.David Friedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08444347475303187373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-82402880275216414522008-11-06T14:47:00.000-05:002008-11-06T14:47:00.000-05:00I could not agree more. Overall, I think the medi...I could not agree more. Overall, I think the media is a disaster these days. Not just in politics, but everywhere. There's no objectivity at all.<BR/><BR/>Side note: I saw this video on another blog today, and couldn't believe how funny it was. Steve Nash, a comedian?<BR/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb4lkUvxdhEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-17934122867276947352008-11-06T12:40:00.000-05:002008-11-06T12:40:00.000-05:00Is this a joke? I mean, a story in Wired making a...Is this a joke? I mean, a story in Wired making a grand prediction about how old media is dying is about as rare as, say, an article in Sports Illustrated about an athlete. You understand that’s what Wired was all about? Sure it shows he was thinking about the impact of the internet a little before many people, but not before everyone. I mean, if there’s a whole glossy magazine devoted to publishing similar thoughts to yours, it’s hardly indicative that you’re a solitary voice of genius fighting a cruel and dismissive world. <BR/><BR/>Plus, I don’t really see much intellectual rigor in his ‘insights’. Let’s see, just in the quotes you’ve provided, Crichton says <BR/>a) it’s a bad thing that people can no longer respectfully disagree with each other, <BR/>and b) environmentalists are all ill-educated, stupid or immoral. <BR/><BR/>In a related story, Terrell Owens held a press conference to decry the trend of selfish athletes trying to get media attention. <BR/><BR/>As a bonus, the author whose every book contains at least one flat-out scientific impossibility complains about how news media are fact-free.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-53102584914014568782008-11-06T11:43:00.000-05:002008-11-06T11:43:00.000-05:00Those are the exact reasons I stopped buying and r...Those are the exact reasons I stopped buying and reading mass media.<BR/><BR/>I remember reading about a graduate thesis that analyzed the content of Israel's leading paper (where I live) and was able to determine that 80%, on average, consisted of PR releases which were published as content.<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure I agree that the situation is worse than in the past - we have a lot more choice today and we enjoy a full range of intelligent news gatherers and analysts in almost every field - such as yourself and several other bloggers (and commenters!) in the field of basketball.<BR/><BR/>If the majority of people choose ESPN over David Friedman than that is their privilege - most people prefer to live in a fantasy world and that certainly is not news to anyone, is it?<BR/><BR/>Anyway, David, thanks for the interesting article.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com