On 22-4-2011 20:53, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:19:28 +0200, andrel wrote:
>
>> IIRC the loophole here is that you can report that someone has an
>> opinion as a fact. To spread an idea you only need to locate someone who
>> has that as an opinion and if that fails have someone from your own
>> staff in a 'discussion' program express that opinion. After that it is
>> factual news.
>
> That's different than the 'reporter' giving their opinion during the news
> and stating it as a factual statement.
>
> It's one thing to say "John thinks this is bad" and a reporter saying
> "this is bad".
>
> The first is reporting.  The second is stating the reporter's opinion.

Sure, but is: 'many people think this is bad' reporting or opinion.
- if the reporter is stupid
- if he didn't research it himself, just reads it from a paper
- if he knows the 'many people' is just a few and he knows they are wrong
- if he himself was the actual source

>> Recently been watching mostly Al Jazeera (the English version) as a news
>> source. They probably have their own bias, but everytime I think I know
>> what it is, they broadcast something to prove me wrong. I wonder what
>> it's mere existence has done for the change in attitude that led to the
>> current developments in the middle east.
>
> Yeah, I've heard they're one of the best sources for factual/actual
> news.  Of course reporters' opinions can creep in from time to time,

Oh they are definitely biased, but they are not consistently biased. 
They do broadcast programs and interviews that are biased different than 
some of the others. They will even give some time to people who are 
against specific Al Jazeera broadcasts.

> regardless of the venue, but the fact that Fox News was banned from
> broadcasting in Canada recently because they're *not* actually providing
> news was quite telling, I thought.

I hadn't heard that. I have trouble finding a reliable source. That 
doesn't mean that I don't believe it, just that many regular media did 
not think it was news worthy. Possibly because it is already so for a 
long time and Fox was not the reason this news surfaced. Just one of 
news channels that can not get a license under current Canadian law.
But still a field day for the blogger who did the maths.



-- 
Apparently you can afford your own dictator for less than 10 cents per 
citizen per day.

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