PLAYPEN: Covid-19 Everything Political

[elliot_n]

not only that, but the quoted link in NY Times site is not accessible to all.
In such a case, an insertion of a representative paragraph in the referred article could be very useful.

It seems that I've contravened numerous regulations. I've removed all my posts that refer to the article.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Posted w/out comment.
WP story breaking today : Source Newsweek / Seth Abramson:Attorney, Newsweek columnisrt

That was - and is - my proposal as well.

P.S. are all those PS1-4 plus UPDATE your text Manoli or WP's?

[elliot_n]

Here's an opinion piece by Terry Gavin of Macleans magazine about the geopolitical aspects of Covid-19 wrt China and how it, and others, are using social media to disseminate false narratives, https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/the-coronavirus-pandemic-is-the-breakthrough-xi-jinping-has-been-waiting-for-and-hes-making-his-move/. It discusses a lot of other things along the way. What I found the most interesting was the work of several organizations, most of them press media, to discover and analyze the sources of the propaganda. One summary might be this, 'Social media is a cesspool.' But it's not a good guys vs bad guys piece, no one emerges unscathed.

The article refers to research conducted by Propublica that reveals that the Chinese state is pushing its propaganda on 10,000 fake/hacker Twitter accounts. It’s probably best if I don’t post a link to the research, but if you’re interested you can google its headline: “How China Built a Twitter Propaganda Machine Then Let It Loose on Coronavirus”. Of note: 'Most of the posts we found are in Chinese and appear aimed at influencing the millions of ethnic Chinese who live outside of China’s borders.'

[elliot_n]

The resurrection of Boris Johnson. Happy Easter

https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1249336590482243585

Summary. Boris has just returned to 10 Downing Street after a week in hospital with Covid-19 (including several days in intensive care). In this 5 minute video, he addresses the nation, thanking the public for self-isolating, and paying fulsome tribute to the health-workers in the National Health Service, whom he credits for saving his life.

[Manoli]

P.S. are all those PS1-4 plus UPDATE your text Manoli or WP's?

All by Seth Abramson. I cant access the WP so no way of checking if indeed its a story as reported.

[Rob C]

not only that, but the quoted link in NY Times site is not accessible to all.
In such a case, an insertion of a representative paragraph in the referred article could be very useful.

When links require payment I walk away. Always.

[Rob C]

Relevant for him may not be relevant for me.

Quite, and unless you read the thing in full you'll never know.

But hey, it's only a chat box of which we speak. It's very insignificant in the grander scheme of things, such as getting the dishes done and out of my face every time I go into the kitchen to make myself a hot drink.

Of course, your mileage and kitchen technique may differ radically from mine.

:-)

[LesPalenik]

It seems that I've contravened numerous regulations. I've removed all my posts that refer to the article.

It would be easier and potentially beneficial to add to that post your comment/summary and a paragraph or two from the quoted article.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Summary. Boris has just returned to 10 Downing Street after a week in hospital with Covid-19 (including several days in intensive care). In this 5 minute video, he addresses the nation, thanking the public for self-isolating, and paying fulsome tribute to the health-workers in the National Health Service, whom he credits for saving his life.

He's been discharged from hospital, but to be strictly accurate he's gone to Chequers, not to number 10.

Jeremy

[Robert Roaldi]

Just wondering. I am not subscribed to the NY Times, but I can usually view an entire article. I am fairly sure that I am sometimes denied access. Do they have a 5 full views per month kind of restriction or something like that? I am not on there very often, only when someone sends me something, so I don't pay close attention.

[Craig Lamson]

All by Seth Abramson. I cant access the WP so no way of checking if indeed its a story as reported.

I just went into incognito mode on chrome and opened the article.  I'll leave it to others tro decide if the article is crap or not.  But I will add this.  When an article says it is based on anonymous sources, I'll pretty much write it off.  If you cnat be bothered to man (or woman) up to speeak with your real voice, you have little value in my book.  There have been plenty of fake news generated using this very method. 

[Manoli]

I'll leave it to others tro decide if the article is crap or not...

I’m not going to dispute your take on it. I posted the quote and the comments ’without comment’ because,as it stands, there has to more than an element of doubt.

[Manoli]

He's been discharged from hospital, but to be strictly accurate he's gone to Chequers, not to number 10.

Jeremy,

I’m amazed thar you’d waste time posting this (unless your sense if humour has taken an uptick for the better). Even by your own pernickety standards, it’s, well, perhaps not worthy of commenting on ?

However, to paraphrase Bamber Gascoigne, ’you’ve started , so I’ll finish‘ ; to be strictly accurate, Johnson was discharged from hospital from where he went to No.10 , recorded his televised address and from there proceeded on to Chequers.

[/levity]

[William Walker]

Just wondering. I am not subscribed to the NY Times, but I can usually view an entire article. I am fairly sure that I am sometimes denied access. Do they have a 5 full views per month kind of restriction or something like that? I am not on there very often, only when someone sends me something, so I don't pay close attention.

They have opened all Covid articles for free...

[Manoli]

They have opened all Covid articles for free...

https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/coronavirus

[James Clark]

I just went into incognito mode on chrome and opened the article.  I'll leave it to others tro decide if the article is crap or not.  But I will add this.  When an article says it is based on anonymous sources, I'll pretty much write it off.  If you cnat be bothered to man (or woman) up to speeak with your real voice, you have little value in my book.  There have been plenty of fake news generated using this very method.

Craig, what happens when your name gets associated with criticism of the Trump regime?  (Or if your brother's does, for that matter?)

[Craig Lamson]

Craig, what happens when your name gets associated with criticism of the Trump regime?  (Or if your brother's does, for that matter?)

James, many thousands of people have associtated their names to criticism of Trump and his policies. They should have a pair and own up to your beliefs.

But the real question that needs to be asked are these so called sources even real and if you can't identify them how can you even check if they are speaking truth?

[James Clark]

James, many thousands of people have associtated their names to criticism of Trump and his policies. They should have a pair and own up to your beliefs.

I'm talking about people who have jobs/careers that Trump has power over, but I think you know that.

But the real question that needs to be asked are these so called sources even real and if you can't identify them how can you even check if they are speaking truth?

Because it's totally reasonable to assume that reporters like Maggie Haberman, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Shep Smith, and John Karl fabricate wholesale fiction and make up sources.

(It's not.)

[JoeKitchen]

I'm talking about people who have jobs/careers that Trump has power over, but I think you know that.

Because it's totally reasonable to assume that reporters like Maggie Haberman, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Shep Smith, and John Karl fabricate wholesale fiction and make up sources.

(It's not.)

I have, at this time, gotten tired of confidential sources.  If it was once and while, I would be more likely to take it seriously.  However, with the drastic rise of un-named sources without any evidence, I have to pass on taking it seriously. 

Dont forget, it came out in 2016 that a few different very prominent reporters wrote positive stories for HRC at her behest and included specific text requested by her campaign.  When this evidence came out of colluding with a politician, no one recieved any kind of punishment, even at the NYTs.  So I do not put it past the papers anymore to make stuff up. 

Just look at the last Cavanaugh story in the Times.  They purposely left out the fact that the woman in question had no memory of the incident and did not think it actually happened. 

[James Clark]

I have, at this time, gotten tired of confidential sources.  If it was once and while, I would be more likely to take it seriously.  However, with the drastic rise of un-named sources without any evidence, I have to pass on taking it seriously. 

That's just irrational.

(Edit: Assuming we're talking about professional, career journalists, not Internet muckrakers)