Pancakes and Waffles Is Why We Are Partially Hostile To News Outlets.
I started a heated debate about what are the differences between waffles and pancakes yesterday.
Try it without allowing anyone to use the internet as reference.
Overall, we concluded that pancakes and waffles share similar basic ingredients like flour, eggs, and milk, but they differ in consistency and certain ingredients. They’re really identical but you can NEVER call a waffle a pancake. Well, not without risk of your personal safety. Waffles have a higher fat content to achieve a crisp exterior. Waffle batter also tends to include more sugar for caramelization.
In terms of ease, both batters are relatively straightforward to make. But waffles requires more attention because of the need for a specific consistency. The major difference lies in the cooking process, as one pours pancakes onto a griddle, while one pours waffle batter into a preheated waffle iron.
However, both are delicious and achieve the same function of food. Yet, people take great offense when they mix them up. There is a real depth of human anger.
I feel this is just like we act to news outlets.
Pancakes are the essence of simplicity. They’re like breaking news, hot off the griddle, ready to be devoured. Just a few basic ingredients, a hot iron, and you’re good to go. But waffles? Well, crafting a waffle takes time and attention to detail. It’s like an opinion piece, layered, complex, requiring a certain skill and finesse. There’s an art to it, sure, but when we’re craving pancakes, we don’t want the extra fluff.
Both have very similar ingredients, but the end product is very different.
And that is where and why we got hostile to the news outlet.
Ever felt that surge of frustration when you eagerly expect a stack of fluffy pancakes at a breakfast buffet, only to stare at a plate of waffles? Yes, it is kind of the same thing, but you did not ask for it! It’s like a metaphorical bait-and-switch, leaving you wondering what went wrong. People tend to be polite and eat their presented food either way, but that patience will wear down.
We’re not hostile to the information itself. No, it’s the news outlets that bear the brunt of our frustration, serving up opinion-laden waffles instead of the straightforward pancakes we asked for.
For this article, I was curious about the growing lack of trust in the news.
Edelman’s comprehensive Trust Barometer has recorded annual declines of trust in all sources of general news and information. Information is complicated, but when an organization is supposed to deliver that information as truthfully as possible, why is there a growing mistrust?
It is a human nature to push back on things that do not align with our values. We’re tired of being duped, misled, and manipulated. We want our news outlets to be reliable purveyors of truth, not peddlers of sensationalism and bias. But all too often, what we get is a far cry from the objective reporting we crave. It’s no wonder we’re hostile.
Distinguishing between an opinion piece and an article purely for information is akin to discerning between a waffle and a pancake at a mad breakfast buffet. And lately, many people are getting tired and hostile towards this ambiguity.
Just as diners at the breakfast buffet yearn for clarity in their choices, media consumers crave transparency in their news consumption. When the line between waffles and pancakes becomes blurred, trust erodes, leaving audiences feeling deceived and disenfranchised. As such, the need for news outlets to serve up a clear information, free from the confusion of mixed messages, has never been more pressing.
News outlets are supposed to serve up straightforward facts, like a stack of plain pancakes. But lately, it seems they’ve been adding all sorts of toppings such as opinions, insights, and biases. It turns those pancakes into something more like waffles with caramelized bananas served with fried chicken. It’s like they’re trying to dress up the news to make it more palatable or exciting, but all they’re really doing is leaving me feeling discontent.
When you turn to the news, what are you looking for? The latest developments, the hard-hitting facts, the unvarnished truth. You’re not looking for someone else’s opinion masquerading as news. But that’s exactly what we’re being served, day in and day out. And I feel this is where a lot of distrust with the media lies.
The consequences are dire. When news outlets prioritize sensationalism over accuracy, when they prioritize clicks over credibility, we all lose. Let me correct that, we are all loosing. The media landscape is littered with half-truths and distortions, where misinformation runs rampant and a clear truth is rare.
“The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear” by David Altheide and Robert Snow offers a stark revelation about the current state of news media. It is rather ugly. Through their examination, they expose a troubling trend: the deliberate construction of a distorted reality by news outlets. This practice involves being selective and framing facts to become stories. This is to prioritize sensational events over more substantive issues. The study unveils a media landscape where entertainment value often trumps factual accuracy. Often, this leaves audiences with a skewed perception of reality.
Altheide and Snow’s findings underscore the pressing need for greater transparency and accountability in journalism. They highlight the importance of media literacy among consumers, which is something a lot of us do lack. The writers aim to empower us to evaluate the news we consume and discern fact from fiction. Ultimately, their work serves as a reminder of the inherent biases and agendas that shape the news media backed by evidence that is concerning.
You know, pancakes have become waffles when we all we want is pancakes.
In today’s media landscape, the distinction between news and opinion has become increasingly blurred, leaving audiences grappling for truth amidst a sea of conflicting perspectives. The rise of opinion pieces in news reporting, which have infiltrated the mainstream news cycle with alarming frequency has exacerbated this shift.
It is almost too hard to tell what is news and what is opinion. Studies such as “Hostile News: Partisan Use and Perceptions of Cable News Programming” by Kevin Coe show how online news platforms often blur the line between news and opinion. This leads to confusion among audiences.
What happens when you are confused? People tend to get angry at what made them confused. When people are angry, it will get directed at somewhere. See the pattern?
Opinion pieces, once relegated to editorial pages, now permeate over 60% of cable news, threatening to undermine the integrity of journalism itself. While including diverse viewpoints is crucial for a healthy democracy, the conflation of news and opinion poses significant challenges. Research like “Navigating News Online: Where People Go, Why They Go There, and What Lures Them Away” by Pew Research Center highlights how the proliferation of opinion pieces has made it more difficult for audiences to differentiate between factual reporting and commentary.
In an era where sensationalism reigns supreme, the imperative to capture eyeballs and generate clicks has led many outlets to prioritize provocative commentary over objective reporting. This is the attention economy, after all. Books like “Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator” by Ryan Holiday delve into how sensationalism and clickbait tactics are used by media outlets. This prioritization of sensationalism over substance further blurs the line between news and entertainment, leaving audiences feeling disoriented and disillusioned.
However, opinions from experts and pundits still play a crucial role in shaping public discourse and fostering informed debate. While these insights offer valuable context and analysis, the danger arises when news organizations present opinions as news or assign them equal weight to factual reporting.
In today’s media landscape, discerning fact from fiction has become a quiet nightmare. One that a lot of us are struggling to wake up from. The proliferation of opinion dressed as news has left us feeling overwhelmed. We have to be aware of their basis, viewpoints, and incentives. It’s like asking for a stack of plain pancakes and being served gourmet waffles. While both may be delicious, they serve fundamentally different purposes.
And I feel that this metaphor highlights just how tired and hostile we have become to news outlets.
This is the attention economy at its most ruthless. Here attention is currency and competition fierce, creators face a cruel challenge: how to capture and retain audience attention amidst the relentless onslaught of content. Here, presentation becomes paramount, with creators meticulously crafting their offerings to stand out in a crowded marketplace. It’s no wonder then that waffles, with their design and preparation, often take center stage over simpler fare like pancakes.
As a creator myself, I appreciate the allure of waffles. There’s a certain artistry to them, a finesse that elevates them above their pancake counterparts. More often than not, I pay for waffles but I make pancakes at home. But in the attention economy, where every click and view counts, the pressure to deliver a polished, compelling product is crucial.
Craftsmanship and intentionality undoubtedly play a role in shaping media content. Every word, image, and sound is carefully curated to evoke a response from the audience. Yet, this attention to detail also introduces bias. This is not inherently negative; after all, reporters and news agencies are not robots devoid of feelings. However, it does complicate the distinction between objective reporting and subjective interpretation.
Let’s talk about the challenge of reporting on contentious issues or human stories. It’s impossible for journalists to remain entirely detached from the subjects they cover. I cannot imangine how diffcult it is to report on human suffering without getting emotional. But the emotions stirred by witnessing suffering or injustice can’t help but seep into their reporting. This emotional entanglement blurs the line between news and opinion.
Maybe, we as consumers of the news are part of the problem too.
So where does this leave us in our quest to differentiate between news and opinion? The truth is, I have no idea. The boundaries between the two have become so blurred that waffles are now pancakes! In the relentless pursuit of audience engagement, the distinction between fact and interpretation can become something to meme.
And lately, we need clarity.
But perhaps therein lies the insight: the line between news and opinion is a complicated mess because our attention and market created it.
Let’s finish this article on the metaphor of waffles and pancakes.
Consider the pancake: simple, straightforward, and easily prepared on a hot griddle. Much like traditional news reporting, pancakes are meant to provide consumers with a no-frills serving of information. They are simple and to the point. In the context of news, pancakes represent factual reporting: the who, what, when, where, and why.
On the other hand, waffles offer a more indulgent experience. Their lattice pattern and crispy exterior elevate them to a culinary delight. Similarly, opinion pieces in the media provide a platform for interpretation and analysis, adding layers of complexity to the information landscape. Opinion writers are like skilled chefs. They bring their unique perspectives and expertise to the table, offering the public a deeper understanding of current events and issues.
Despite their differences, both pancakes and waffles serve a purpose in satisfying our hunger for information. It also complicates things when they are made of the same ingredients, just as news and opinions are to. However, the challenge arises when the line between news and opinion becomes blurred, leaving consumers unsure of what they’re consuming.
With so many options vying for attention, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by conflicting narratives and competing agendas. Yet, just as discerning diners seek out their preferred breakfast fare, savvy media consumers must learn to differentiate between factual reporting and interpretive analysis.
Ultimately, the key lies in understanding the nuances of media presentation and consumption.
And honestly, it is something I am still learning to understand and navigate.
