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Category: In Practice

The culture of perpetual outrage: “The harmful ableist language you unknowingly use”

The culture of perpetual outrage: “The harmful ableist language you unknowingly use”

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This is what happens when we constantly seek out reasons to be perpetually outraged. The world is overrun with individuals who every day, intentionally seek out things to be outraged about. Common speech is now perceived as intentional and hurtful sleight to someone, somewhere. There is nothing we can say anymore without offending someone, somewhere. I have referred to concepts as “brain dead”, which is likely offensive to those with brain injuries. Which, should be obvious by now, includes me.

How lazy reporting can influence your thinking

How lazy reporting can influence your thinking

Laziness leads to Reuters showing a thumbnail graphic that is badly out of date, and which may mislead readers into thinking the Covid situation is much worse than it is now. This is not nefarious or intentional propaganda – it is most likely just laziness.

Another neat propaganda technique

Another neat propaganda technique

A “report” by an advocacy group opposes “vaccine nationalism” and says we need “a massive course correction” on vaccine distribution by redirecting “excess rich-country doses” to “poorer countries”. But they pulled a little trick in their description – twisting the facts.

Google enforces limitations on “Covid-19” related apps for Android: only government approved speech is permitted

Google enforces limitations on “Covid-19” related apps for Android: only government approved speech is permitted

Under new Google rules for Android apps in the Google Play store, only government approved speech about Covid-19 will be permitted. This is traditionally known as censorship. This goes in hand with the next item, where Facebook announced similar rules, prohibiting speech not fully in line with officially approved government speech about Covid-19.

“Deplatforming” Parler

“Deplatforming” Parler

The controversy over hostile social media content advocating violence, hate, and lies on social media – and the deplatforming of individuals and entire services (e.g. Parler).

Was Parler deplatformed for “conservative” ideas or for users advocating violence?

“Liking” the wrong post could get you fired

“Liking” the wrong post could get you fired

Clicking “Like” on a social media post that contains controversial commentary may get you fired from your job. This has happened in the past and may happen to some police officers who liked a controversial post from a former police officer that participated in the insurrection and attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Social media shuts down Trump

Social media shuts down Trump

Most online social media platforms have taken steps to remove Trump’s access, as well as insurrectionists and their supporters, from using social media platforms. The problem is that social media is THE DRIVER of the breakdown of society.

Did the AMA trademark the title “Doctor”? Seems that way

Did the AMA trademark the title “Doctor”? Seems that way

The AP style guide says reporters should only refer to people in medicine with a Doctor title and others, with earned Doctorates should not be referred to as Doctor, although their degree may be mentioned later in the report. Often their qualifications are not mentioned. It is as if the AMA has trademarked the Doctor title or something.

It also creates situations where medical doctors pontificating on subjects outside their field, are called Doctor, while experts in those fields, with actual Doctorates in the subject are referred to by name only – and in some old school pubs like the WSJ, might even be referred to as Mr or Ms. This creates – to the reader – a distortion of relative expertise as the title Doctor becomes short hand for “expert”. Furthermore, in some countries, medical doctors may not have an earned doctorate either – but are referred to using the Doctor title. This has ramifications for propagandizing media reports.