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Join Ben Hunt, Matt Zeigler and Jack Forehand as we break open the news to reveal the Nudging language behind the headlines. Media bias is real, but not in the way you think.
There was an explosion in the vicinity of a hospital in Gaza. The media immediately began reporting on it. Major newspapers put out front page headlines. Television stations brought on experts to voice their opinions, But there was one major problem: much of the information that was reported as fact turned out to be wrong.
In this episode, we dig into the incident to try to understand what happened in the reporting of this story, why it happened, and what it tells us about the way the media operates in our world today.
for those in need of a dose of optimism, I wanted to post this here (it’s also on my website if you want all the links/videos too):
If it sounds a little self-reverential, it’s because it has to be. Maren Morris has been battling pigeon holes long enough, and she’s ready to scream phoenix. I’m always here for artists doing this.
The metaphors are all present. Take a read through the lyrics on her new EP The Bridge. Then check out the 2-song video with its colors, bridges, and fires. This is about the country music machine. This is about gender/race/fill-in-the-blank equality. This is about [not letting their labels define your identity.
It might still be pop-country, but this time it really has to be. Take extra note of the tropes. Morris is the rare artist who can write this effectively on multiple levels. Spin this as a modern country anthem or a socio-political screed. She’s come a long way since “My Church,” and hallelujah to that.
I’m done filling a cup with a hole in the bottom
I’m taking an axe to the tree
The rot at the roots is the root of the problem
But you wanna blame it on me
I hung around longer than anyone should
You’ve broken my heart more than anyone could
Trying to stop me won’t do you no good
I’ve already planted the seeds
Oooooo
Do you hear that
It’s the sound of a new wind blowing
Oooooo
Do you feel that
Heart letting go of the weight it’s been holding
I’ve made miracles in the shadows
But now that I’m out in the sun
I’ll never stop growing
Wherever I’m going
Hope I’m not the only one
You’re going to want to listen to both songs on the EP together and stick around through the whole video – it doesn’t stop with “The Tree.” She’s just getting started.
Like her southern-Zen brethren Sturgill Simpson, Maren is [learning about what it means to just let go. You don’t scream phoenix at the people pigeon-holing you, you scream it from within yourself. It’s not a call from the mountain top so much as a release from deep within.
You make miracles in the shadows. You commit to growth. You recommit to hope, even when it’s all you’ve got. You don’t fix the world, because you can’t. You fix up your own resilience, because it’s the only way to limit the suffering.
In the shade of a layered toxic relationship breakup song, notice where she’s directing the words “Get The Hell Out Of Here,”
I handed out my heart on paper plates
I believed all the love, I believed all the hate
So to sharin’ every part of me so I don’t disappear
Go on, get the hell out of here
I do the best I can
But the more I hang around here the less I give a damn
So to all the doubts and demons that I held so dear
Go on, get the hell out of here
Remove yourself. And, remove your self. Their labels are not your identity – never are and never were.
Damn Maren, you know what love is.
Another great, though sad, episode.
I hate being a Debbie Downer but…yesterday morning was rough. I saw this tweet from William Gibson: https://x.com/GreatDismal/status/1718877503216107607?t=gHVy7tjW_Y55xscnvXor-w&s=09
And the reference to the “Second Coming” piece of course prompted me to share Ben’s “Things Fall Apart” part 1 post. In doing so, I realized that while I knew Ben nailed it in the post, the scope is now much bigger than just American politics. I don’t think the gyre has ever been wider than with the Israel-Hamas War.
Right after that, I watched/listened to this YouTube video on comedian Godfrey’s channel, with a panel of comedians from different backgrounds. I’m glad I watched it, but it was extremely depressing. After watching this, I don’t have any hope that this will be resolved except in an extremely painful and bloody way. I try to see the bright side, but I don’t see one here. At all. (Though huge thanks to Mehran Khaghani, who is actually the wildest of all of the comedians(!) for his calm perspective.)
“The Israel vs Palestine Debate | Nina Kharoufeh, Keren Margolis, Mehran Khaghani & Jonathan Randall”
In the dark days when the TARP was being debated. I feared that it might destroy any payoff to prudence for banks that were not guilty of all the sins that pushed us to the brink. The prudent ought to be in a position to pick through the wreckage and make money, but of course it’s more complicated than that. Maybe there were no prudent or not enough of them. So is the abuse of our trust in the media. Abuse is not strong enough to describe the media debacle this podcast dissects and yet as you said there is no apparent demand for disinterested and true journalism. I can’t help thinking this is somehow characteristic of 4th Turnings. I had been thinking the breakdown in trust for institutions was the cause of the problem but now I think the cause is something deeper and the breakdown is just a symptom.
My god, what has happened to the BBC? JFC.
https://twitter.com/OliverCooper/status/1724696251407470665
That’s remarkable. The BBC has been sliding for awhile now, but this…
Did they completely misquote Reuters, or did Reuters screw up too?
Completely misquoted the Reuters report TWICE.
Later retracted – https://youtu.be/alsGEc2v9yY?t=28
Not like misreporting stuff like that could have any consequences in a country experiencing a 13x increase in anti-semitic hate crimes…