Are you afraid of the Media?

[Weatherby]

Some of these responses really surprise me. With all the snakes and spiders most of y'all are afraid of, I'd think the media would be small potatoes.

"Look out, he's got press credentials and a camera. Run!"

 

[Glocktogo]

After reading this thread, I'm getting the distinct impression OSA'ers don't trust the media, period. Are there ANY media channels that would present the facts in a neutral and unbiased manner, in the opinion of OSA members?

To the OP: I'm not afraid of the media, and would talk to them. I would, however, be careful how I presented myself - having been interviewed on a couple occasions, it's surprisingly easy to say or do the wrong thing entirely by accident and have it recorded for posterity.

Honestly? No. Even an NRA program will have bias. It would just be bias in our favor.

 

[donner]

I love discussing media bias. I always loved listening to the phone calls we used to get at the sports desk a few days after any high school or college events happened. It was great to hear one guy complain about how we only covered Rock Bridge and not Hickman and then the next caller (talking about the same edition of the paper) complained it was all about Hickman and nothing about Rock Bridge.

The Tulsa World probably has it worse with so many colleges to balance.

People see bias where they want to. It's the same reason that most people seek out news sources they already agree with.

 

[Glocktogo]

I love discussing media bias. I always loved listening to the phone calls we used to get at the sports desk a few days after any high school or college events happened. It was great to hear one guy complain about how we only covered Rock Bridge and not Hickman and then the next caller (talking about the same edition of the paper) complained it was all about Hickman and nothing about Rock Bridge.

The Tulsa World probably has it worse with so many colleges to balance.

People see bias where they want to. It's the same reason that most people seek out news sources they already agree with.

So you're implying that people are biased, but the media reports aren't? Good luck with that...

 

[donner]

So you're implying that people are biased, but the media reports aren't? Good luck with that...

Sure, judges can be biased in their personal opinions but still rule in a neutral way. People put their own bias aside all the time. My larger point is that people will see bias where they want to regardless of whether there is any or not.

In my example two people from opposite sides of an issue read the same articles and each thought we were biased to the other side.

And certainly the media (usually tv news in my opinion) can be blatantly biased. But just because a person may favor one side or another doesn't mean that the overall reporting of a topic is inherently lopsided because of it.

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

I want to be interviewed.

 

[Glocktogo]

Sure, judges can be biased in their personal opinions but still rule in a neutral way. People put their own bias aside all the time. My larger point is that people will see bias where they want to regardless of whether there is any or not.

In my example two people from opposite sides of an issue read the same articles and each thought we were biased to the other side.

And certainly the media (usually tv news in my opinion) can be blatantly biased. But just because a person may favor one side or another doesn't mean that the overall reporting of a topic is inherently lopsided because of it.

So the essence of your argument is that media reporting can be biased and that people will see bias regardless of whether it's present or not? I fail to see where your disagreement is then...

 

[donner]

So the essence of your argument is that media reporting can be biased and that people will see bias regardless of whether it's present or not? I fail to see where your disagreement is then...

im not sure i'm disagreeing with anyone on anything, I'm making two points. One is that we are all shaped by our experiences, and that can be interpreted as bias if a reporter lets it creep into his or her stories. But just because a person might be biased towards, say one political party, that doesn't always mean that the story they report is biased towards that political party.

The other point was that i've personally seen people on two sides of an issue interpret the same story as being biased for the other side. People see bias when they want to see bias. It's basically the idea that you can't make all the people happy all the time.

 

[shooterdave]

Dave, I relate talking to the media to messing with a snake... No, I'm not scared of either, but I also know that both are capable of reacting in a less than desirable way. That being said, if I go and mess with a snake and get bit, my fault. Same for the media. If I choose to talk to them and the misrepresent my views... again, my fault. I knew the risks...

All that said, I have, and will continue to support you as both a vendor and a patron. Your shows are great.... Media or not. I do agree that if it comes up again, it might be a good idea to inform vendors ahead of time. Some may not be comfortable with the idea.