▼ This is the one of the dumbest excuses for "journalism" I've ever read/seen in my life... ______________________________________________ Fox News vs. Libraries "Are libraries necessary, or a waste of tax money?" The headline for Anna Davlante's post on Fox Chicago News is phrased as a question, but it seems like she's got a particular answer in mind. "Keeping libraries running costs big money," Davlante points out. "In Chicago, the city pumps $120 million a year into them. In fact, a full 2.5 percent of our yearly property taxes go to fund them. That's money that could go elsewhere--like for schools, the CTA, police or pensions" That leads her to count library visitors on a camera. "In an hour, we counted about 300 visitors. Most of them were using the free internet. The bookshelves? Not so much." She does admit, though, that libraries raise some money as well--through fines. Watch the television report that goes along with this: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/features/view/feature/Fox-News-Reporter-vs-Libraries-1537 ______________________________________________ I do believe that there are a number of government-run programs in the U.S. that are mismanaged and simply aren't worth keeping up, but I do NOT believe that public library systems are as such. READ THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY COMMISSIONER'S RESPONSE and watch the folks at Fox News get annihilated. It is nothing short of poetic justice. As journalist Walter Cronkite once remarked, “Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”
Ok, While I am in favor for libraries %100 (I am a college student so I spend many a night there) I do think that in the digital age that there should be some forward progress into digitizing books for on-demand reading and the archival of certain books that have been digitized. I do think that as a building libraries remain a great place for some peace and quiet to catch up on studying and doing group assignments but that just as people are pushing other frameworks (recording labels anyone?) to the internet I also think the same should be for libraries.
You have to remember Fox is a company to make money whatever the cost Hopefully i'm not being too offensive, but as a 'news' channel this does appear to be part of Fox's business plan. Truth is expensive and difficult, lies are cheap and easy. Therefore lies>truth. simple pure profit motive at work As ignorance helps this, because it provides them more profit as a result, it's no surprise they're promoting ignorance... Biggest downfall of capitalism IMHO, as all that matters is profit, nothing else. Any evil can be justified under this system as long as (short-term) profit is made.
I think it's less outright lying and more that they take a single fact then write an article based solely on their own opinion. It happens everywhere, although American news outlets seem more prone to it.
Shock horror as Fox News again presents the "facts" as they see them with little to no research of verification.
