Who listens to Rush anymore? :hmmm: Last time I checked most if not all conservatives can make their assessment on their own without having to listen to Rush or Fox news. :O:

Hmm really? As according to research, most people tend to prefer not to have to really think for themselves or form their own opinions independently, but prefer to have their thoughts and opinions fed to them from a source (or sources) they feel they trust, and co opt it as being their own.

Critical thinking is virtually non existent in the general public today, most do not even have the basic skills necessary to be able to do it properly. It's a major problem in universities right now.

BTW this applies regardless of political identity.

Well then, I must be one of the select few that has multiple links to a variety of news outlets so I may get several different views/opinions to make a better assessment. As for Rush, I have not listen to that boob for over 15 years. I take TV news at face value...it is just about worthless in my estimation.

I guess I'm just the exception to the rule. :O:

I question the research and your conclusions.

Not highlighting you personally mate :DL

People may use multiple sources for their news, but they often pick news sources that display a bias similar to their own. There is a good reason why almost all the news formats available now are almost entirely subjective rather then objective, and have specific biases. We are not told about events any more, we are told how we should interpret those events.

Even still though you may be surprised how much your own biases effect your point of view, and your selection (and interpretation) of news outlets. It's incredibly difficult to find and reduce the effect of ones personal biases. This is something we are all guilty of to varying degrees.

In general though people don't like thinking for themselves very much, it's a lot of hard work that never ends. This is why we have developed so many different mental shortcuts, such as stereotyping.

Seriously its not all about the health care bill it is about "Fundimentally changing America". Its about control and Goverment intrusion into every aspect of our lives.

It's all about control.

I know you're not Neon and you are absolutely correct! In short, birds of a feather flock together. I do attempt to get a broad spectrum of news outlets to form a good opinion but I do gravitate to the sites that closely resemble my thoughts on the matter. Human nature I guess.

Very true that most people do not think for themselves....kind of like my wife. :hmmm: Please to not repeat that to her. She will only ask me how she should respond. :shifty:

Ok, where would you like to start then? How bout we start with how news is presented to the public.

Do you disagree that news is now presented mostly in a subjective manner today? That rather then telling you what happened, virtually all news outlets try and tell you how to think about it? If this is true, then why are virtually all news outlets doing it? I would say probably because people are preferring it over objective news, as if they were not then news would have remained more objective.

Now if people were critically thinking for themselves, the question becomes, why would they prefer news outlets that offer subjective material? Good critical thinkers should want objective news so that they could form their own conclusions wouldn't they? They wouldn't need someone else telling them how to think about something as they would be doing it themselves.


If you like I'll be happy to pull out some of the research as I am able to (a lot of it is locked away in private databases) and examine it in more detail with you.

BTW to be absolutely clear, I'm not targeting any group or faction. This is a very broad statement, and I can back it up pretty well too.

August,

I agree with Neon 100%. Now, there are those that are the exception to the rule and they are known as the thinkers of our society. By and large, most go from day to day none-the-wiser to current events and only ingest what is told to them via a news station. What they hear is written in stone as far as they are concerned because Walmart is closing real soon and they need to get some paper plates.

Of course, we're all exceptions to the rule here :DL

Exactly! :D Off to Walmart!

I'm off to see Twilight! :D

Oh lord you just lost some respect :doh:

I get to see it with my daughters...:O:

The beginning is usually the best. :DL

Like for instance: Whose research? What are their qualifications? How do they figure it's "most" people? What proof is there that critical thinking is virtually non-existent? What is the justification for saying that people lack those basic skills?

Without providing the answers to all those questions up front aren't you really asking us to do the same thing you're criticizing us for?