Television Advertising, the Internet, and Social Media: the End of Truth and Facts
Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart
I was a child raised by television. My brother and I were
raised by a single mother in the 1950’s and 60’s. I remember our first television.
It was nine inches in diameter, and the picture was in black and white. There were
only three channels, and the broadcasts ended at midnight, returning at six in
the morning. We were a poor family and the “boob tube” was our only source of
entertainment.
In its beginning, broadcast television was limited and there
were many restrictions.
All of its programs were “family friendly,” and their
content was decided by the time of day their programs were broadcast. Television
news broadcasts began in 1948, and were limited to 15 minutes. In 1962, the
popularity of Walter Cronkite on CBS extended its early evening broadcast to 30
minutes.
Advertising was limited primarily to food products,
automobiles, and cigarettes. Forbidden were ads involving alcohol, the medical
profession, and services offered by the legal profession.
During election years, candidates were allowed to pay for
short ads which included their names, what office they were seeking, and their
party affiliation. Those were simple times and offered only small exaggerations
in their content. How times have changed.
THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
I am a huge critic of social media and the internet in
general. The FCC allows virtually anyone to say anything in 2026.
I believe the reports claiming that 90 percent of everything
on social media is composed of lies and/or misleading information. In general,
this is true about the entire internet. What we see and hear on television
during election years is the worst of all.
When political parties learned that negative advertising was
the most successful of all, both Democrats and Republicans reverted to attack
ads which were either loosely based on facts or blatant falsehoods.
Corporations followed their lead. Most claims about their
products are primarily based on lies and exaggerations.
Today, whether products are alcohol, food products,
prescription or over the counter drugs, attorney services, medical specialties,
numerous household products, home care for the elderly, or the many lies from
insurance companies, they are always composed of lies or half-truths at best.
Advertising has become a profession dominated by falsehoods
and promises which can never be kept.
POLITICAL ADS AND ADS BY THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
Fact: studies confirm that between 30 and 43 percent of all
Americans use television as their only source when making decisions about candidates
and issues when they vote. Few voters thoroughly vet the candidates, making
decisions based on emotions rather than facts.
Choosing candidates without valid information is as
dangerous as choosing an advertised drug based on the quality of the ads appearing
on your television rather than their effectiveness or dangerous and debilitating
side effects.
ALL ADVERTISING IS EXPENSIVE AND AT THE VERY LEAST
MISLEADING
Regardless of the product, service, or political candidate,
television ads are mostly based on fantasy, not reality. Ads in the 21st
century are extremely costly. They offer viewers misinformation for a single
purpose: to increase the profits of corporations, pharmaceutical companies, and
secure victories in elections for professional politicians.
A LAZY NATION OF PEOPLE WHO WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO TELL THEM
WHAT TO THINK AND DO
Over my 80 years, I have watched my country change. For every
positive change, two negative efforts have countermanded the efforts of men and
women who chose to move forward and embrace progressive policies rather than
those which are regressive.
Unfortunately, the word “effort” is rejected by most Americans.
We have become the laziest and therefore the least informed people in the free
world.
When voters refuse to make an effort to learn the truth
about the candidates seeking their votes, the result is both destructive and
dangerous to the future of the majority of our nation’s people. When we, the
people, fail to ‘vet’ the men and women who ask for our votes, we are forced into
having the worst of the worst making decisions for us in Washinton. The names
of these incompetents include Donald Trump, Moscow Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz,
Marco Rubio, Mike Johnson, Jim Jordan, Majorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Chuck
Grassley, Ron Johnson, Steve Scalise, Joni Ernst, and many others whose loyalty
is to Trump and not to you or me.
In the 21st century, the federal government of
the United Sates is the most corrupt and incompetent in the world. This begins
at the top, and like excrement, slowly rolls downhill to the bottom.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Believe nothing you hear or see on television, the internet,
or social media. The information is available with just a few clicks on your
computer. The truth is often hidden, but with a little effort it is available.
Vote wisely. Do not allow the weakness of emotion to
interfere with the facts.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Follow my blog and be informed
My 10 novels are available on Amazon’s free Kindle App
Sources: comcastadvertising.com: Television Is The Medium
Most Likely To Influence Voter Opinions and Decisions, Especially in COVID-19
Environment
campaignsandelections.com: Lessons In Vetting: Don’t Just
Google Your Candidate
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