News Script writers should check their writings

[Monique]

I was watching a television show which comments on strange television moments. They showed a clip from the American soap: As the World Turns.

This actress is in the middle of nowhere in France, trying to find her way to a spa. She meets some French people and asks them where she is.

..So the television host stops the clip and asks the public: what do you think those Americans will come up with, a French city in the middle of nowhere. Paris was the first thing that came to mind...

So they start the clip again. She is in 's Hertogenbosch according to the French playing actors, WHICH is a major city in The Netherlands. What are these script writers thinking?? They looked into the atlas and though 'that's a nice name, let's go with that', I think it is pretty stupid.

 

[Descartes]

I see/hear things like that all the time in media, and it can become extremely frustrating at times because they'll often say things that will mislead many people.

You also have to consider that the city is largely obscure to most people, so they wouldn't even question it; indeed, most obscure to Americans which is the target demographic of the soap. I'm American, and although the name is quite obviously not French, I wouldn't have second-guessed it.

 

[Bystander]

Soaps are fiction --- no one uses them as travelogues, or histories, but "your" town is at least on the correct continent. History, Learning, and Discovery Channels purport to present facts --- and butcher them horribly --- in how many oceans and how many wars can one ship be sunk --- HMS Barham has to hold a record.

 

[Monique]

Well, that 'town' is a large city, such gross mistakes should not be made in present day information technology society.

It is a general phenomena.

Today I was reading one of the major newspapers. It had the following article: "Humans thrive best on prehistoric diet", why? Research showed that cave people did not suffer from heart and blood disease, decalcification (right translation?), obesity, allergies or high blood pressure. Conclusion: we should all start eating meat, leaves and berries to become healthy again. Did it ever occur to those people that cave-dweller did not live long enough to develop these syndroms??

Same newspaper, different article: "Trainee compensation is inequally distributed", commenting that females get less money than males when doing an internship. The way they determined that? They compared a female with a MBO (middle professional education) degree with a guy with a HBO (high professional education) degree. Their conclusion: the latter received more money, thus females get paid less (could it have been their level of education??).

More misinformation: in the television program I mentioned before, they showed a clip of a soccer coach giving a press interview after the 6-0 victory and qualification for the European championships. The coach expresses his dismay with the press, since they brought out a negative story on the soccer team. The clip ends in him saying that they are going to undertake legal steps against the press, namely a magazine and the public news station. Next, the exact same clip is shown, but now broadcasted by the public news station (which has a very very good reputation btw) but magically in this clip, only the magazine is being sued, the news station edited themselves off of the clip! (cowards)

That is why I say that these people should check their writings and think if it is really correct what they are saying.

 

[chroot]

Over here on this side of the pond, we have a major news network telling people the moon landing was a hoax. Not just a mistake, or even a white lie -- but a boldfaced, sensationalized, intentional lie.

- Warren

 

[Monique]

But that is old news :P

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by Monique
Well, that 'town' is a large city, such gross mistakes should not be made in present day information technology society.

It is a general phenomena.

Today I was reading one of the major newspapers. It had the following article: "Humans thrive best on prehistoric diet", why? Research showed that cave people did not suffer from heart and blood disease, decalcification (right translation?), obesity, allergies or high blood pressure. Conclusion: we should all start eating meat, leaves and berries to become healthy again. Did it ever occur to those people that cave-dweller did not live long enough to develop these syndroms??

Same newspaper, different article: "Trainee compensation is inequally distributed", commenting that females get less money than males when doing an internship. The way they determined that? They compared a female with a MBO (middle professional education) degree with a guy with a HBO (high professional education) degree. Their conclusion: the latter received more money, thus females get paid less (could it have been their level of education??).

A pretty typical non sequitor and ad baculum argument, respectively, put forth by the media. The basic reality is that ALL information disseminated by media is apocryphal at best, so you really have to consider the source.