How the mainstream media lies to you

[@MallenBaker]

Support Mallen's work on Patreon! patreon.com/mallenbaker Support Mallen via Paypal paypal.me/mallenbaker My rules for comments in this forum. You can post your opinion freely in the comments to any of my videos. I like to engage with people on arguments and issues. I will, time permitting, happily engage with comments that are polite and broadly on topic for the video in question. You can still post what you want but if you want a response from me, those are the criteria. If you want to preface your biting critique with an observation of what a total idiot I am, knock yourself out, but I won't respond to those comments any more than I would if someone said that stuff in real life. Out and out obscenities and personal abuse will be removed. Posts that are just links to other videos you want to promote will be removed. People who engage in bullying other commenters will be asked to stop if I think they are making commenting here unpleasant for others. If they refuse to stop then they'll be removed from the channel

[@zfid]

Also an issue is how a story can flood the news whereas another (potentially valid) story gets no, or virtually no, coverage. For example, the recent fires in LA getting hour after hour, full media coverage versus the trapped miners in South Africa. Not saying the fires weren't a high profile item, just endless coverage filling the time slots and newspaper front pages essentially squeezing out any other story.

[@robertcharles7085]

And some would say the fire is lit so any others stories are not covered. 🤡🤡🤡🤔🤔🤔😜😜😜🐒🐒🐒😎😎😎

[@obviousmaths4368]

Trapped miners in Chile a few years ago got lot of attention. I wonder if it is because these were "illegal" miners, so "brought it on themselves"? The news attention is very fickle.

[@MartyH99]

Men dying is not news! That happens everyday! Now if they were women, the gynocentric media would be far more interested! Perhaps the men should declare they are all trans and then the media might be interested! Try it! Post an 'augmented' news story about the trapped women!

[@mikev4621]

@@obviousmaths4368 people like a 'miraculous rescue ' type story too.

[@Thomas-gk42]

Spot on. Thanks for your balanced insight.

[@andywilliams7989]

My Google Chrome feed is literally filled with speculative articles on the worst websites. I have had to just learn not to click.

[@Everyman777]

Thanks Mallen. I like when you do these kind of videos, helping people (maybe especially young people) to become more critical thinkers. I know your deep dive videos are very useful in drilling down to the core of subjects and revealing the essence. But I think you would agree, we need the population to be less ready to jump on a bandwagon, and more likely to pause and think critically about issues that are presented to them, from one biased source or another. Your channel is more valuable than people know.

[@garyclifford5368]

Here is another example. Some influencer 3 months ago was scared that there was going to be a microchip shortage because of hurricane Helene in NC. A silica mine could be closed down. Oh, that was you.

[@TenthCrane2788]

Your comment should be pinned by Baker. Lol

[@jimsouthlondon7061]

Monday in Washington can’t come soon enough .

[@youMEtubeUK]

I think another thing I’ve notice is the same article or a variation of the same article in several newspaper, like they get it from a central source like reuters. Also articles that are really advertisements dressed up as some sort of interesting survey. Or the same article used again a good while after it came out. And what about stock pictures instead of a real one supporting the article.

[@andrewfrancis3591]

Very few active reporters now. Newsrooms run by interns.

[@mikev4621]

@@andrewfrancis3591 Israel posts photos that are from other events or time periods

[@mikev4621]

Christopher Hitchens read all the big dailies each morning- not because he believed everything in them, but simply to know what was considered 'the news' at the time

[@rayperkins8560]

One you missed is product placement. Journalists have to fill the space between the adverts and are under time pressure to do so. A well crafted press release will be cut and pasted, uncritically, just to fill space. A great question to always ask yourself is “who’s selling what?’

[@andrewfrancis3591]

Well said. The only thing missing, the plethora of media available may reduce the users attention span. If there was a market reasonably neutral for fully explained news, you for one would have 1M+ subs.

[@v1e1r1g1e1]

Well summarised. Well expressed. But don't forget 'lying' by circularity of authentication.

[@tobymaltby6036]

We don't know what we don't know.... and perhaps it was ever thus... however: Thanks to the work of people such as Mallen, we now *know* that we don't know what we don't know.

[@Perspectiveon]

"Manufacturing consent" as per N.Chomsky

[@EternalModerate]

Don't put much weight in what that man says.

[@richardhunt4576]

Using the past tense for something that hasn't happenef is a newer infection. 😄😔

[@footspring94]

I don't consume nearly any news at all but I do watch plenty of Mallen Baker. does that mean I'm in the Mallen Baker cult?

[@Johnsmith-zi9pu]

Yes

[@garybarnacle808]

Like the BBC video about a chemical atack in siria that was actualy filmed in Coventry UK, on a demolition site, the BBC took 3 takes to get it right but what they did not know was someone filmed them manufacturing the artical.

[@obviousmaths4368]

" chemical atack in siria that was actualy filmed in Coventry UK" That sounds interesting. I can't find information from a google search. Can you provide something further to search for?

[@IanRolfe]

Didn’t know anything about this so googled it. All I can find is media reports of a chemical attack in the city of Duomo in Syria (allegedly carried out by the Syrian government) and reports of Russia (and Russian media) claiming that the footage was fake and staged by the west. I can’t find anything on the BBC being exposed for filming a staged chemical attack in Coventry, so grateful if you could provide a source covering that bit of the story. Thanks.

[@rayperkins8560]

Excellent Mallen!

[@oraclis4892]

Excellent video

[@obviousmaths4368]

This sounds like an advert for Ground News. A key thing here that you talk about is that the BBC was found to be in breach of its rules. It has rules, and can be found in breach of them. Non "mainstream" media has no such rules, and cannot be held to account at all. This is a massive advantage of following mainstream news, rather than " alternative" news. If the BBC gets it wrong, they can be held to account. They have rules. The rules are enforced. There is a huge incentive not to break those rules. Sometimes they miss, and are held to account. There will be a correction. Illustrated at 10:23 "This was eventually corrected. " This is a feature of MSM. Failures are corrected. There is no such mechanism for "alternative" media. Having to publish a correction is bad. It provides an incentive for MSM to get it right. They don't always get it right, but when they fail they have to own up. It is a very important restriction on MSM that does not apply to alternative media. Alternative media can outright lie. They will not be held to account. They can be as biased as they want, and there will never be any "correction". They have no rules, and cannot be held to any rules. Of course we must be suspicious of all reporting. But MSM reporting is generally much more reliable than "alternative" reporting. We can be reasonably sure they are not actually telling lies. "The new media has many of the same incentives as the MSM" Yes, the same incentives to lie, but none of the checks to hold them to account. All the sane incentives, but none of the checks on exploiting those incentives. Which should we trust? Given MSM and "alternative" media, both of which have the same incentives to lie, but only MSM is held to account for lying. Obviously, MSM should be more trusted. I th9nk Tommy Robinson is a good example. No MSM supported Robinson. The facts are all against him. No paper could support him without falling foul of the rules. Yet many "alternative" media supports Robinson. They do all the things Mallen talks about, selecting information, ignoring other information etc. But they do it to an extent that no MSM could get away with. So many people, only exposed to "alternative" media have a very distorted view of Robinson. MSM has faults, but alternative media has far more and far larger faults. We know the Guardian is left leaning, and the Telegraph is right leaning. But both give a view on the world that is mostly correct. Followers of both would probably have a similar view of Robinson. That is not the case for much of the alternative media.

[@mikev4621]

What about the 'beheaded babies' story that got front page treatment in the MSM, and barely a mumble when eventually proved to false?

[@davewheeler1158]

Thanks Mallen.

[@ceciljb]

I would add the innumerable times that stories involving technology or science are covered by reporters who are not remotely qualified to understand and evaluate. These reporters merely regurgitate what bits they vaguely comprehended of what they were told by experts or bullshiters, exaggerating some good or bad sounding aspect because a story needs a hook.

[@jimsouthlondon7061]

How the mainstream media lies to you ,especially when it’ goes down to Mar A Largo and switches over to the other side .🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣❤🇺🇸🇮🇱🇬🇧 and ❤Trump .

[@raquetdude]

People don’t want truth as that means being challenged. People want to be told what they like not what is real.

[@obviousmaths4368]

"People don’t want truth as that means being challenged. People want to be told what they like not what is real." Sadly this is true to an extent. In the bad old days when the news was given to us by newspapers and television, we had no choice but accept the truth of what was happening, even if we did not like it. Now we can get our news from anywhere, so if we can choose to be told what we want to hear and ignore everyone else. We can, if we want, support any view of the world we want by selecting what we see and hear.

[@johnnyjones5385]

there's a saying... Dumb people do not want their ideas proven wrong and will get upset. Smart people will thank you, if you have proven there ideas wrong. Which one are you?

[@jyutzler]

I'm more annoyed by chasing a narrative than outright lies. I want news from news sources.

[@petersheppard1979]

Indeed. We seem to be floundering in a propaganda soup. Cheers anyway :-)

[@obviousmaths4368]

" We seem to be floundering n a propaganda soup. " The old MSM had means to avoid that. they have rules to enforce truthfulness and balance, none of which apply to new media. If you, as an individual, chose to watch BBC as your sole source of news, I suspect you would have a better picture of the world that by getting news from social media.

[@np4029]

Looking forwards to the 34-part series on how social media and independent media lies to you.

[@Lashb1ade]

10/10 video.

[@patrickshawstewart1538]

I'm definitely going to listen to this one. Sounds promising

[@chrishill9016]

Great reminders!

[@RandallSlick]

Having watched this video, I suspect that there's something we're not being told.....

[@futilelaneswapper]

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Why is it so hard?

[@obviousmaths4368]

"Why is it so hard?" The whole truth? where do we start? I was born..........I was a teenager.....I saw something.... My experiences as a child and a teenager may have influenced how I saw it..... Maybe if my mother was more loving, I may have ..... Really, there is no such thing as the whole truth. Just a partial, limited truth that is sufficient for the purposes at hand.

[@MartyH99]

All people have a bias on every subject. The (capital T) Truth is a very nebulous thing!

[@bnielsen56]

There's no money in it.

[@mikev4621]

@@obviousmaths4368 "The Truth! You can't handle the truth!!" ( Jack Nicholson)

[@MartyH99]

Lying liars for hire!

[@alanharwood1636]

Fact is many 'alternative' media sources are equally as bad if not worse. It seems the only way is to build a framework of sources on X or YT or wherever that have proved reliable in the past but to always retain a sense of caution.

[@tarqinquentinsson-obviousl957]

the difference between mainstream and alternative media, is that the former is under intense and uncharitable scrutiny by the latter, whilst the latter is under no scrutiny from anyone lol

[@obviousmaths4368]

" equally as bad if not worse. " certainly worse.

[@berniefynn6623]

War of the worlds, panic caused by a local paper with falling circulation picked up on the radio show and made it real.

[@cadwang_621]

Awareness of the lies is key. When do they get held accountable for leading people on and putting ideas in peoples heads. Pure propaganda

[@WillPlanitzer]

Hi Mallen. Great video(s). ** Please, please, please adjust your camera. It's on the 'wonk' - not level. ** Carry on the great work sir, thank you :)

[@JamesHawkeYouTube]

How can anyone discern if anything in the media is true at all?

[@obviousmaths4368]

"How can anyone discern if anything in the media is true at all?" Check it out via google search. See what comes up, and in particular follow any link that sems to oppose what you first thought. We can get more information now than we ever could in the past. Of course, getting that information takes time and effort. We can't do it for every story we hear. In the old days, we had no way to investigate a newspaper story. Now we can do so. You can actually investigate if something in the media is true ort not from your own room.

[@MartyH99]

The media always tell the truth! Any other narrative is far right disinformation!

[@mikev4621]

Truth is a spectrum- some things are indisputably ( and often non-controversially) true.Other things are obviously rubbish.It's in the middle where things get blurred and where the papers exercise their own biases

[@hotdatedave]

Media is the plural of medium, because there are several different media (newspapers, radio, tv, internet etc). So the mainstream media *lie* to you, not lies. It sounds most odd when you use a singular verb!

[@howtoappearincompletely9739]

Agreed. I interpreted it as a typo.

[@rexd_kin6850]

My issue with Climate Change is that we're given a false dichotomy of "it's fake" vs "it's real" when the real discussion should be if we take the solutions provided by our "elites" or if there are others that don't involve destruction of the Middle Class.. Media bias on both sides have contributed to the misdirection of the discussion.

[@Johnsmith-zi9pu]

The media ran a protection racket for Al Gore for a decade.

[@michaelstockley7897]

Could I add as a category misleading graphics and pictures. For example high temperatures on weather maps that are today coloured deep red 20 years were more neutral hues. A newspaper in Melbourne recently ran an article critisising Trumps proposal to increase oil drilling. Above the article was a caricature of him riding a dinosaur skeleton against a blood red sky

[@obviousmaths4368]

"For example high temperatures on weather maps that are today coloured deep red 20 years were more neutral hues" That is because 20 years ago the temperatures were not so extreme.

[@andywilliams7989]

It is because the weather is communist😂😂😂

[@JamesHawkeYouTube]

Can we even believe the statistics?

[@obviousmaths4368]

Only 73% of them

[@youMEtubeUK]

It’s their version of the truth. Does it match your truth…. What is the truth…

[@obviousmaths4368]

"Does it match your truth…. What is the truth…" I think there is an actual truth. It is what comports to reality. I think there is an actual reality. If so, there is no such thing as "your truth" only the truth

[@zakmartin]

"The Western media is still a long way behind the Russians on this..." What papers have YOU been reading?

[@obviousmaths4368]

"What papers have YOU been reading?" The fact that the Telegraph and The Guardian both exist is proof positive that UK is far behind Russia in state control of media.

[@patrickshawstewart1538]

I agreed with your main points, but I don't think you understand how bad the problem is. I don't think the problem is the reputable media are lying - as you say, it's mainly just ignoring facts that go against the narrative. But I don't agree it's easy to spot. For example I think YOU regularly fail to realise how much you are missing (though you can be impressive - eg on the US voting system.). Please don't ask me to prove my point in a KZbin comment - it would take too long. I've been asked to make a video- I will post that here when it comes out. A lot of the problem is we are used to believing that experts - mainly scientists and other academics - are neutral and unbiased. That used to be true - no longer. By the way I would add that the Noble Cause Corruption you describe DOES work very well - for a while. Then it suddenly stops working.

[@obviousmaths4368]

"we are used to believing that experts - mainly scientists and other academics - are neutral and unbiased." Just wrong. Science does not expect or require individual scientists to be neutral. The whole point of science is that is that it accepts our individual bias and subjectivity and puts it to the test. Everybody expects individual scientists to favour their own hypothesis. The whole point of science is that every individuals hypothesis is testable. Scientists are not neutral, but science is.

[@mikev4621]

@@obviousmaths4368 what about 'sponsored science' ? eg by tobacco companies to 'prove' that their products are harmless. Many scientists are now beholden for grants, to forces they wouldn't willingly want to.

[@yongbinsong9676]

The NYT, the WP, the BBC... no longer trust ever. In that sense, trustworthy KZbinrs are more credible and, more and more people are listening to them. Anyone cannot reverse this trend.

[@obviousmaths4368]

"no longer trust ever. In that sense, trustworthy KZbinrs are more credible " Mallen provided examples of where BBC was forced to publish corrections when they had been proved wrong. Are youtubers held to that? No they are not. Nobody corrects them, they can say what they like, there are no investigations, no appeal to a "standards" board. Nothing. You are correct that more people are listening to them, but wholly wrong that they are more credible. They are vastly less credible. A KZbinr does not have to demonstrate credibility in order to become popular. It is sad that so many people are now relying on sources of information that have no credibility at all.

[@EnemyOfEldar]

I was brought here by Sci Fi critic Damien Walter. He's right. You're awesome.

[@R.A.Lester-Esquire]

Maybe we should rename the 'comments' posted here to 'opinions', although this is probably one step up from media clickbait. I'm biased but seem to consider that the BBC as simply the mouthpiece of big brother 😊

[@obviousmaths4368]

"BBC as simply the mouthpiece of big brother " Mallen described where BBC published an apology for an error they made. Big Brother would never do that. I am not sure who you think big brother is in this situation.

[@R.A.Lester-Esquire]

@obviousmaths4368 its called a metaphor. Everyone apologises when caught

[@vertigoz]

Thanks God that the influencers don't lie and their sources are quite thorough investigated!! Not aiming at you specifically, but human nature isn't exactly holy. You can see the agendas all around, there no saint anywhere

[@patrickshawstewart1538]

But when you watch a podcast it's obviously one or two people's opinions

[@obviousmaths4368]

@@patrickshawstewart1538 "But when you watch a podcast it's obviously one or two people's opinions" Rubbish. Many podcasts and videos are not presents as opinions. They pretend to be stating facts.

[@ugiswrong]

1.15X speed for Zoomers

[@ratspam7655]

Very good video but I am just as better/worse off as I was before I watched this video. When people stop treating the news as entertainment we might have a chance at reform.

[@brittrubin9461]

What is ‘ the truth ‘ ?

[@jim23mac]

That which is consistent with reality

[@mikev4621]

@@jim23mac Whose? reality

[@brianfitzell1664]

And you believe those world surface temperatures collected to prove some intent or other?

[@jimgraham6722]

My rule qui bono

[@howtoappearincompletely9739]

*cui bono

[@mikeorourke307]

I was impressed until the bogus advert for a "revolutionary" electric heater popped up. The advert is pure fakery. This so called student doesn't exist. Shame on you Mallen. Otherwise you are brilliant. (I am a Chartered Electrical Engineer and have seen many of these fake heater stories)

[@patrickshawstewart1538]

Is the advert somehow Mallens fault?

[@mikeorourke307]

@patrickshawstewart1538 well he earns money from it

[@obviousmaths4368]

@@mikeorourke307 He does not pick the adverts. I too find the thermodynamic denying "heat your home for virtually nothing" adverts annoying. If only everyone was taught thermodynamics at school. But is is not Mallen's fault that these ones pop up.

[@Zirrad1]

Please don't tell me you're a climate warming denier...

[@obviousmaths4368]

"Please don't tell me you're a climate warming denier..." No, he is not. Lots of videos on climate change

[@rvvancouverisland4602]

good piece... But - my default position remains the same. The rightwing media, such as it is, is sometimes full of shit. The leftwing media is always and completely full of shit.

[@obviousmaths4368]

"The rightwing media, such as it is, is sometimes full of shit. The leftwing media is always and completely full of shit." That is your bias. As a left wing person, I can see that the right wing media is sometimes correct and the left wing media sometimes wrong. It is just that the left is more often correct than the right. I apply critical thinking to each story, whereas you apply you bias to every story. I get that your post was sort of in jest, but I do think it reveals something important as well.

[@albi55uk]

Can you make a video about grooming gangs?

[@IanRolfe]

Good piece Mallem, but you really should omit the word mainstream from the title. The fact is ALL media is guilty of the traits you describe. By including the word mainstream you are committing the very sin that your video attempts to expose. Come on Mallem, you could do better.

[@cpaul9269]

OK, but why should we believe YOU? I mean, I don't disagree with you, but it seems kind of ironic for you to assume we should believe you any more than them, right? I'm not trying to be an asshole - just spend some more time explaining why you are more trustworthy. For what it's worth.

[@youMEtubeUK]

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