Summer Doldrums-Surreal News-Truth-Podcasting In A Dream World-Podcast 726

These days it feels like we’re in the Summer Doldrums though Summer doesn’t start until June 21st. Find out why podcasters struggle with political and social commentary in today’s news flow in Summer Doldrums-Surreal News-Truth-Podcasting In A Dream World-Podcast 726.

Dream World

I call it the ‘News-Flow’. The dream world where stories flip flop almost hourly.

News Story Flip Flops

We’re having a trade war. Then we’re not. North Korea is going to make a nuclear deal. News is the deal is off. Now suddenly it’s back. Robert Mueller’s investigation will soon yield explosive results! The FBI planted a mole in the Trump campaign. Roseanne’s new comedy is a hit! Oops. It’s been cancelled. We’ll talk about it in Summer Doldrums-Surreal News-Truth-Podcasting In A Dream World-Podcast 726.

Awash In Commentary and Outrage

Moreover every screaming headline comes with analysis and commentary, predictions and counter commentary from all quarters. They’re only to happy to tell us why everyone else is right or wrong.

Is It Real? Or Is it Social Media?

Especially relevant is the feeling that all of this nonsense is building to a serious crisis. Are we all going crazy? Maybe it’s the Ambien. Or maybe the antidepressants. The full moon anyone?

Journalism or Propaganda?

What’s more advancing story lines is not journalism, it’s propaganda. Do the executives, reporters, producers and presenters understand this? Seems like all they want to do is keep people watching and clicking.

Easier To Talk About Roseanne Than The War In Syria

In conclusion maybe it is easier to talk about Roseanne’s latest fiasco, or how the Press Secretary yelled at a reporter than it is to actually cover the war in Syria. Maybe its cheaper to talk about Hollywood’s latest scandal than it is to explain why gas prices are skyrocketing.

What If?

What if all their story lines are wrong? One podcaster’s thoughts on a moonlit night at the beginning of summer.

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Summer Doldrums-Surreal News-Truth-Dream World-Podcast 726

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Podcast 524

Podcast 524. Unbound. As we prepare for the first big trip of the summer in Mobile Podcast Command, some thoughts on the eve of departure. In an old-school-walk-and-talk Podcast 524. Unbound. Suddenly a new word enters the political lexicon on the right. “Unbound”. The word has implications in life as well. For this trip the destination is Cleveland, for the Republican National Convention, which starts on July 18th, or thereabouts. With no media credentials, I won’t be getting through a steel wall erected around the venue, or through the phalanx of security creating a virtual green zone which insulates convention goers from the rest of the great unwashed. But, I think the real story – at least the real human interest story – will be in the streets at Cleveland. Family members, friends and neighbors are all telling me, “There will be riots”. Maybe. Maybe not. The best news? A little detour on the way to Cleveland. We’ll head up 35, through Duluth, cut across Northern Wisconsin to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, then head down the ‘east coast’ of The Great Lakes State, down through Hitsville U.S.A, Motor City, better known as Detroit, onto Cleveland. A summer tour of the industrial heartland of the United States going back more than a hundred years. After some discussion of automotive preparations for Mobile Podcast Command, as we green light this latest adventure, the RNC is on the verge of attempting to nominate some other candidate than the one millions of voters in state primaries and caucuses voted for. The word is ‘unbound’. It’s the name of a movement within the Republican party to ‘go rogue’ at the convention to stop Trump. My sources tell me they have the votes to block a first ballot nomination. Will the party allow Rule 16 to sunset? It’s still a very good possibility the establishment is waiting in the wings for an insurgent group to upset the apple cart, so they can present a so called ‘unity’ ticket. Wonder what the Trump supporters in the street will say to that? Sponsored by X Government Cars and Brush Studio.

Podcast 266

Rolling Stone’s Debacle. This weekend Rolling Stone Magazine admitted it did not properly fact-check a story about an alleged gang rape on the campus of the University of Virginia. So now we have a clear example of media bias in action and it goes way beyond fact checking. The editors liked the story, so they never pushed the reporter to interview the accused, or confirm the stories of the friends of the woman who claimed she was gang raped at a frat party. So, it took the Washington Post to go down to UVA and run down the particulars in the story. As this was going on, Rolling Stone defended its reporter, and anyone who questioned the woman’s story was pilloried. What did the Washington Post uncover? The discrepancies are so numerous, Rolling Stone had to issue an apology this weekend. ‘Narrative journalism’, combined with bias and shoddy editing is the order of the day in most of today’s news shops. Now the media, UVA, Fraternities, the alleged perpetrators, the victim, not to mention real cases of rape have all been thrown into question as the result of an editor and reporter, and magazine that did not do their job. And what can we say about the media? Charlatans, hustlers, think tank spokespersons, operatives are booked as guests on all the major news shows, round table shout fests, and empty suits abound. An informed populace/electorate is the one necessary ingredient for democracy, and we do not have it. America is being so poorly served by its so called media, its no wonder people cannot reason, don’t know the facts, scream and yell at each other, throw labels onto each other that are meaningless, and are deeply confused about how any process works, because they are uninformed. Who’s fault is it? What can be done about it? Have we reached the stage where the rule of the mob has become a reality? Unfortunately, it sure looks like it. Meanwhile, Mary Landrieu has lost her bid for a fourth term in the US Senate representing Louisiana, giving the GOP one more seat in the Senate, and an historic majority in the House. Wait until after January 7th for the fireworks to start when the 117th Congress is sworn in. The President has acid reflux, as does the rest of the country due to his policies. The media ballyhooed the latest unemployment numbers, but once you look under the hood, they don’t look so good. Surprise! We have yet to produce one month with over 375,000 new jobs, which is what the country needs to fully recover. It never ceases to amaze what the media thinks is ‘good’ versus what is factually needed. Sponsored by Baklund R&D. (Correction: I keep referring to the current congress as “the 116th Congress” in this podcast, and the next as the “117th Congress”. Getting a little ahead of myself; The current Congress is the 113th, and the incoming congress is the 114th.)