Spin Spin Sugar
Is it possible to get unbiased news? Or, should we just call a spade a spade - all news is filtered, selected, and given from some perspective. If we acknowledge this, we must be more critical of what we are presented with.
Here is an excellent article about how “news” is often presented in South Africa, especially as it betrays certain commonly-held misconceptions and slants.
For those of you who are unaware, it’s pretty popular in SA, especially in the media, to paint a negative picture of the country. Not sure exactly why that is, but here are a couple of my guesses:
- South Africa has an inferiority complex. Unlike America, who generally thinks she is best and every and all things, SA most often minimizes its achievements and points out its many faults.
- Because of its long isolation from the rest of the globe, there is a major, “grass is greener on the other side” feel. And, if all you know about the rest of the world comes from TV, of course it all looks better.
- Ambivalence in the media toward the average South African. Seems that journalists here are generally more educated, well off, and liberal than the average populace. So, there is a tendency to look down on, and even denigrate, life as most people live it.
Would love your thoughts on media bias & the negative tone of SA journalism.



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