I cannot stand it. I hate it when media sources try their best to make their stories emotional, interesting, or outrageous for the sake of appealing to readers. Instead of containing accurate or informative information, they become filled with biased and misleading information for the sake of manipulating readers.

Here's a recent example that is what caused me to go on this rant:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/18/wo...phy/index.html

The CNN article disgusts me. Not because I disagree with the author, but because the information is misleading, biased, and poorly interpreted. It is tailored for the sole purpose of making it seem like an outrage, in order to appeal to readers. I'm fine with them saying that it is so disgusting that it should be banned, even if it restricts free speech. I cannot hate them for having an opinion.

What truly disgusts me is the number of fallacies in the article, such as the fact that they took statistics about rising child abuse in Japan, and immediately blamed it on the prevalence of lolicon comics, even when a study by the NPA found that there is no correlation. They completely ignored the statistic, in favor of a second one:

"Child welfare advocates disagree.

Shihoko Fujiwara runs Lighthouse, a nonprofit for exploited children. She told CNN she once worked on a case where a predator used a cartoon to convince a child that sex abuse was normal. "So the *********s might bring the animation and say 'this is how you practice with adults,'" she said.

So because of one scenario where there was the slightest link to fictional comics and child abuse, it is assumed that it a major factor in the rising abuse rates. It is not considered that the abuser could have used multiple methods, besides fictional content, and that even if such content was illegal, the man is already committing a much more severe crime, and wouldn't have cared to respect such laws anyways.

Basically, they disregarded a professional study for 1 scenario in which there was only a correlation. This is a brilliant example of confirmation bias.
Then look at this paragraph:

It added: 'While the NPA continued to maintain that no link was established between these animated images and child victimization, other experts suggested children are harmed by a culture that appears to accept child sexual abuse."

They never cited the "experts" that made such statements. I have no reason to believe this statement. If they were experts, they should have mentioned the research facilities and organizations that discovered such information. I can claim anything is said by an "expert" , it doesn't mean anything if I don't cite a professional source. Experts say that sending Skilliard $1,000,000 in the mail will guarentee you will live forever!

Also, they fell for another fallacy, but I'm slightly forgiving of this one. They say that the culture accepts child sexual abuse, but that is not true. Almost every lolicon I know would never want to act out their fantasies in real life, even if legal, and they understand the difference between "2d" and "3d". Most lolicons abhor sexual abuse. If I enjoy watching a violent movie, or a violent videogame, it doesn't mean I support mass murder. The same is true of lolicon.

The video disgusts me even more. They made assumptions that the sole reason it's still legal is because of lobbyists. Not the millions that believe in free speech, or those that believe it reduces abuse rates due to providing a harmless alternative, but the lobbyists. This rivals the level of professionalism of a low placement high school speech class, where arguments are very simple and more of a direct product of emotion and assumption than actual research.


I really want to contact CNN and file a complaint for this unprofessional article, but I don't have the balls to use my real name. I know for a fact that they will twist my quotes to make me seem like a devilish Child abuse advocate, like all mainstream media does.


/rant  

I was thinking of a point but then you made it in this thread which I completely agree with, just because you enjoy horror movies doesn't mean you promote mass murder, same goes for FPS' and war/terrorism, and same goes for this too. Looks like the media just looking for something they probably don't know much about to blame all over again.  

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I couldn't keep a straight face reading that least part lol.  

SHOCKING NEWS HEADLINES THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO QUESTION! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ!

i hate these a bit more ^  

"No good news events today? Oh just use some controversial stuff from a different culture and make it look horrid. PRINT DAT SHIEEET."

CNN~ 2014-Forever.

Seriously, why even bother trying ban this stuff when you can just go on the Internet and find an unlimited amount.

I don't even think CNN know what manga even means.  

I never pay attention to any media at all whatsoever any more lol. If I want to find out about a subject, I can go google the sources from myself. I'd rather not have a 'buffer' intermediate between the reader and the source/event. Too many facts are either left out, altered, or blown to large proportions. I'm not a fan of murder, break in, or mass shooting stories either. I don't pay any attention to those unless it's local. Thoreau once said after hearing about one killing, one theft, one rape, one break in, etc., is there really any need to hear about any more? I wouldn't say so. Some psychologists even believe one cause of these things is the media itself. After Sandy Hook, how many more school shootings did you hear about? A personal example I can share is in my home town, we've had a reputation for being murder free for around 27 something years. Last year, one murder was reported on the news, and since then you hear about it more and more on the news about people getting stabbed and shot in our local area. It's frightening, but it sells.  

Posted by 5hift

"No good news events today? Oh just use some controversial stuff from a different culture and make it look horrid. PRINT DAT SHIEEET."

CNN~ 2014-Forever.

Seriously, why even bother trying ban this stuff when you can just go on the Internet and find an unlimited amount.

I don't even think CNN know what manga even means.

I think the point they're trying to make is that they should ban possessing such things. So if someone went and viewed a doujin online and got caught somehow they should be jailed lol.  

Who are they to decide what should or shouldn't be banned in Japan.

Does it look like they live there?

Does it look like they give a damn?

Why should people who live halfway around the world care.

This isn't a problem of national security.

It's all just attention-seeking opinions by a bunch of high commentators which in hindsight, makes up half of CNN's articles.

Why, just why couldn't western journalism go back to being the way it was back in the 1940's.

Back then, news was bought down to the bare necessities not this cesspool of hypocritical trash.  

I agree completely.
I remember once my class had to do a debate/speech on 'Whether it is ethical that nimals should be used in scientific experiments'.
Most of my class used "How would you feel if you were a young, poor (insert weak animal here), torn from the wild, who had no future as you were being injected with harmful chemicals and .........."
Luckily I did some research! It turns out that 36 000 experiments involving animals only involved scientists observing the animals (no harm for the animals), and 5 000 involve animals being in contact with the scientists with mild pain. This was out of 42 000 experiments in 2012, Australia wide.  

The purpose of the media is entertainment not information. If the media broadcasted everything exactly as it really happened, it would naturally be less exciting, and their precious ratings wouldnt be as high, and the news networks wouldnt make near as much money. Not only do new networks force feed opinion, their goal is for you to react the way they want you to. They broadcast "news stories" that anyone with a brain doesnt give a **** about instead of broadcasting real news stories.  

Posted by twilit

The purpose of the media is entertainment not information. If the media broadcasted everything exactly as it really happened, it would naturally be less exciting, and their precious ratings wouldnt be as high, and the news networks wouldnt make near as much money. Not only do new networks force feed opinion, their goal is for you to react the way they want you to. They broadcast "news stories" that anyone with a brain doesnt give a **** about instead of broadcasting real news stories.

So where the hell do I go for valid sources of live information, prevented in an unbiased manner?

It sucks that there isn't enough demand for actually intellectual articles.  

http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-new...rican-gun-laws

Yay.

America!  

all i got from OP is that hes cool with child pron as long as its depicted in comic/manga whatever you call it. Your rant has to many flaws to reply. Even though I agree with your opening statements I think you picked the wrong article to use as an example.  

Posted by Skill

So where the hell do I go for valid sources of live information, prevented in an unbiased manner?

It sucks that there isn't enough demand for actually intellectual articles.

Fox News.  

Posted by GOAT

all i got from OP is that hes cool with child pron as long as its depicted in comic/manga whatever you call it. Your rant has to many flaws to reply. Even though I agree with your opening statements I think you picked the wrong article to use as an example.

Why do you say my post has too many flaws to reply, yet refuse to state any? I would love if you could describe the flaws, to allow me to reflect upon my mistakes and improve my knowledge. I like it when people point out when I say things that are incorrect. I want to improve what I know and I like seeing multiple sides to an argument.

Please, elaborate.

Posted by 5hift

http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-new...rican-gun-laws

Yay.

America!

Thanks for posting this.

I understand its part of a satirical show that's intended for entertainment, but damn this makes me want to punch my monitor. I wish that sensationalist video/article didn't make it onto a highly popular TV show T_T

I can't blame the guy on the show, he's just trying to be funny and using the only knowledge he knows on the subject. He probably saw that article and believed it in its entirety-after all, it's an relatively unknown topic outside of Japan so its likely the first he's heard about it. I'm just sad he described it as a "a harmful, destructive industry" when studies show that fictional cartoons aren't the source of any problems.