Carmageddon: Another Failed Apocalypse

16th July, 2011 - Posted by L. John Mason -

Carmageddon: Another Failed Apocalypse was the headline story from the internet based ThirdAge.com. The media had predicted the end of the world due to the shutdown of a major freeway in Los Angeles, CA. The news media has become so entertaining by building silly news stories into international events. The sad fact is that so many gullible people get sucked into the drama that the media creates that the silly story becomes a “firestorm” taking on a huge, and unnecessary, life of its own. The media makes it sound like people who live in Los Angeles have NO COMMON SENSE and will blindly hit the freeways to cause a gridlock that has universal proportions. The general public often does not display much common sense and media often uses this to promote ridiculous agendas. But why does the news media have this kind of power to not report on the news BUT to CREATE the news??? Answer: because the general public allows this feeding frenzied, entertainment type journalism.

The public is “BORED” with real reporting of the news. Rumors and univestigated half-truths are now reported as NEWS in an attempt to get stories out quickly even if they ruin people’s lives by promoting false allegations. There is little, if any, responsible fact checking or media being held accountable for their sometimes damaging reporting. The 24/7 news cycle has created the need to fill the media with stories of disasters that will grab attention AND people get sucked in to the adrenaline frenzy. Many people have “hair-triggers” to respond with bigotry and anger, and little common sense to filter out the untruths that are reported by attention seeking headline news providers. No wonder politicians can make up “FACTS” that are reported as truths and then used to stir up supporters who can not be bothered by checking on the accuracy of the information fed to them. The internet has plenty of information that is not true or accurate, however people with no common sense or ability to filter out mis-information believe what they find on the internet…

People expect that someone else will fact-check and provide a policing of lies or mis-information. Expectations and laziness can lead to stupid decisions and actions. We have to wake up and not be mis-lead by inaccurate facts that the media provides. I am sorry that we can not trust our media sources. This is especially the case when people like Rupert Murdoch is running the world’s largest media empire and devoted to the reporting of half-truths for sensationalism and his political agenda. It is no longer news. It is entertainment disguised as news.

By the way, if you ever get stuck in traffic in Los Angeles take a deep breath and relax your jaw and your shoulders. Remember, this is what can be expected when you live or visit an area that has too many people and cars.

DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE OR HEAR: ON TV, RADIO, the Internet, from your psychic, from your politicians, from multi-national corporations, or in your newspaper…