Discussion Post Min 300 words
On p. 144 of Gibson, he states, “Postmodernists often rely on background assumptions about human nature.” Do you agree? How do the moral theorists Habermas, Rorty, and Levinas work with this notion?
Reply Min 70 words
Reply to Alexix
In my opinion, I think postmodernist ideas greatly impact our current system of news media. For example, there are different news channels such as MSNBC and Fox News, who cater towards different political parties. For many situations, there is not just “one answer.” Each news source has many different perspective and things to say, which aligns with postmodernist ideas. One example I keep seeing on the news is the case about Donald Trump’s court trial. MSNBC will say one thing about the jurors and case while Fox News will say something else. There are many different opinions and beliefs regarding the topic, the different narratives and opinions are what shape people’s beliefs. One part in Gibson’s book that stood out to me was when he wrote, “But however we react, we are not coming from a neutral stance-we already have beliefs about the way the world works, and how things should be”(Gibson 133). When I read more about the “Herald Disaster,” I could understand all the different opinions and points people made. My first assumption would have been to blame the person who was responsible for closing the door but taking a step back and looking at it from a neutral perspective provides many different reasons as to what could have happened. As discussed in the book, we all have our own set of beliefs and opinions when it comes to any situations, that is why postmodernist ideas impact our current news media. Almost all news outlets are biased at some point because of everyone’s different interpretations of situations. Journals that get published are typically biased because it is the writers opinion that people are reading about. One news source can say one thing but another source can say another, as I discussed above. That is why I believe postmodernist ideas are greatly impacting our news media. It can be conflicting trying to figure out what the true “one answer” is but in reality, there is not always a true one answer. There can be multiple, depending on how people look at the situation.
Reply Min 70 words
Reply to sheldon
Yes, I agree. Postmodernist concepts have greatly influenced the news media landscape of today. News used to be reporters obtaining information and crafting narratives it was all relatively simple and now it’s not.
Consider the “Herald Disaster” instance. A simple story like “ferry sinks because someone forgot to close the door” would have likely been the newscast back in the day. However, postmodernism has allowed us to enter an entire plethora of possible interpretations. Not only should we consider what occurred, but also why it occurred, who is responsible, and the significance of it all.
So how does this appear within the news media of today? To begin with, there is the notion that there is only one truth. Not only do news organizations present the facts, but they also craft the story to suit their own agendas, biases, and convictions. One channel may present one version of a story, and when you switch to another, you may see an entirely different interpretation. It’s similar to a buffet of viewpoints, where you can select your preferred option.
There’s also the growth of social media information is disseminated, altered, and remixed sometimes to the point where the original narrative is hardly recognisable.
There is also clickbait where news sources compete for your attention in a world where attention is the currency. In order to get your attention, they might therefore embellish certain details, add drama to their headlines, or concentrate on the most dramatic angles. They seem to be competing to see who can shock people the most”
Overall, postmodernist ideas have definitely left their mark on the news media. Reporting the facts is no longer enough; you also need to navigate a complex web of viewpoints, prejudices, and agendas in order to construct your own version of the truth.
