media antics

familiarity with msian newspapers have lead me to these conclusions:

1) comments

comments...they drive me up the wall. not just any comments mind you. comments from the authorities or politicians. especially if it comes from so-called ministers. then again, not really their fault.

Msian media has this habit of asking for comments whenever any issue strikes d nations fancy at the time. i know that on slow newsdays, you have to find SOMETHING to fill up the newsprint but comments? what good are they really, think about it.

a comment is just that, a comment. no real value to indicate yes or no, good or bad. its an opinion (of an individual), made as one. that means its value-less, useless as it carries no weight in an official capacity for whatever purpose be it to sanction, disprove, rectify whatsoever.

which is plain stupid in my opinion. instead of asking for comments, shouldn't you ask them for an official press release instead? with an official press release, then it carries weight simply because its an OFFICIALLY sanctioned statement, one which carries weight in a black & white YES or NO fashion. no buts, ifs & maybes.

look at the US government. do their journalists ask the US president for a comment on important & not-so-important matters? no right? why is that, hmm...think about it, because they know it carries no weight!

they wait for the officially appointed spokesman from the White house, or state department (for foreign policy) & they hammer their questions there because they know the spokesperson speaks for the president & his decisions. accountable & responsible for whatever comes of that decision.

but i guess msian government cant do that. the reason is pretty clear. decision-making & policy is so flipflop, so kneejerk reaction that whoever they appoint as the spokesperson would lose all credibility in a short time. not that i'm holding my breath that this would ever come to pass..


2) making a statement for nothing

the authorities, and politicians in particular have a habit of making useless statements to the media...for nothing. there are so many examples of this. just look at any newspaper & you'll find them.

long bombarded by them, one becomes far too quickly used to seeing them. worse is that, yr so used to seeing them, the addled brain is so numbed by the sheer idiocy that they hardly register as a useless statement.

just because you hold a press conference, and make a statement doesn't make it a fact (refer to No 1), doesnt necessarily change things (for better or worse) & doesnt necessarily make it right/legitimize whatever it was said or done.

i dont have to list them down, im pretty sure you could think of ALOT of examples.

3) in the news for the wrong reasons

way too many idiots running around, making idiots of themselves. and the press writing up about them & making us pay attention to them. and giving them useless airtime/column space. wayyy too many examples to quote.

4) if, but, could, might, maybe headlines

you get these all the time, open any newspaper... And these items count as newsworthy, worthy of appearing as frontpage material? why come out with a statement in the first place if there isnt any concrete decision/action yet.

until it comes out & implemented officially why report it & more importantly why waste our time listening to your rumour mongering? & they accuse the people of listening to rumours!

my philosopy in this regard is simple. until its OFFICIAL, dont bother.