Friday, March 06, 2009
This is the reason why news reporters need to be extra responsible and ethical
With response to the stabbing-suicide incident, there has been a spike in debates on how transparent and responsible the media is in covering the story.Apparently, an Indonesian friend of David stepped out and clarified (or make it more confused) the situation. In essence, there is a divergence in the story provided by his friend and the news media.
Usually, the stories in the news are seldom doubted by the readers. We place almost 100% trust in what the reports say. There is no room for guessing -- we expect 100% facts, no speculation whatsoever. After all, isn't the media supposed to be objective? Isn't the media supposed to be the watchdog which bites back on untruths? Isn't the media supposed to serve the readers?
The amount of trust the readers place upon news media should not and cannot be misplaced and abused. In the past, maybe, but not now. The once gullible, all-believing readers can now turn to other sources.
With the emergence of new media, it is now even harder to "cover the fire with paper". 纸是包不住火的。
And whether or not the trust relationship of the news media and the readers has been abused, only time will tell. This trust, if misplaced, is hard to rebuild.
Media, beware!
Labels: Indonesia, news, NTU, school, Singapore
posted by QueenPig @ 11:40 AM
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Earth is breaking apart
Here's another major earthquake, this time at Sumatra, Indonesia. It showed 6.1 on the Ritcher scale.Luckily, there's no reported damage or casualities.
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Myanmar too had their share of 3-days of mourning. But contrast that with the mourning in China, we can already guess how much resentment there are among the Burmese.
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Meanwhile, it seems that Chinese has a amazing will to live. More than a week after the terrible earthquake at Sichuan, there are still survivors being found, albeit tapering off. Here's an account of one survivor. The death toll now tops at 40 000.
As China struggles to house her homeless quake victims, all of us looking at this webpage are probably seated in a comfy chair, with a solid roof over our heads, as well as knowledge that food and water is within reach.
With more calls for help, shouldn't we all do something?
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It is extremely depressing to read the news. While we have unavoidable natural disasters taking thousands of lives away, we have people fighting each other and have no idea how precious life is.
Although I personally do not believe the John Titor story fully, but it seems highly probably that if we continue to live the way we are living now, doomsday is not far from us.
The Earth is breaking apart without our help. We have done enough to destroy it, but when we start to learn to clear our own shit?
To end off, here's a verse for thought:
If you observe the tree or the grass,
Without knowing it, they exhibit different types and kinds.
There are many different species.
Then observe beetles and moths or small insects like ants;
They exhibit different types and kinds.
There are many different species.
And in the four-footed creatures, both great and small,
They exhibit different types and kinds.
There are many different species.
Observe creatures that crawl on their bellies, snakes and reptiles,
They exhibit different types and kinds.
There are many different species.
Observe fish and those that have the water as their home;
They exhibit different types and kinds.
There are many different species.
Observe birds on the wings, those that travel through the sky.
They too exhibit different types and kinds.
There are many different species.
In these creatures types and kinds can be seen;
In humans no such types or kinds can be seen.
Not in hair or head, not in ears or eyes,
Not in mouth or nose, lips or eyebrows
Is there any great difference.
Not in neck or shoulder, not in abdomen or chest,
Not in genitals is there any great difference.
Not in hands or feet, not in fingers or nails,
Not in calves, thighs or complexion
Are there different types or kinds as there are with other creatures.
Human types do not differ greatly as other species do.
The differences between humans are only differences of convention.
Sn.601-611
Labels: China, Indonesia, John Titor, life, Myanmar, news, Singapore
posted by QueenPig @ 9:44 AM
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