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1917 - The New York Evening Mail newspaper published an essay entitled "A Neglected Anniversary" by H.L. Mencken.

This entirely made-up essay stated as a matter of fact that the bathtub was invented in the U.K. in 1828 and that the first bathtub in the U.S. was installed in 1842.

Mencken apparently intended this essay to demonstrate how easily the public can be duped. He made his point in spades. Despite containing statements that are provably false, the essay was reprinted and is still quoted as fact.

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoax ... niversary/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The essay is not funny or interesting. I suppose that if had been funny, some readers would have been suspicious of its veracity.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:1917 - The New York Evening Mail newspaper published an essay entitled "A Neglected Anniversary" by H.L. Mencken.

This entirely made-up essay stated as a matter of fact that the bathtub was invented in the U.K. in 1828 and that the first bathtub in the U.S. was installed in 1842.

Mencken apparently intended this essay to demonstrate how easily the public can be duped. He made his point in spades. Despite containing statements that are provably false, the essay was reprinted and is still quoted as fact.

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoax ... niversary/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The essay is not funny or interesting. I suppose that if had been funny, some readers would have been suspicious of its veracity.

- Jim

The Evening Mail has long since disappeared, but the new York Times continues the tradition of printing the news as they like to see it still to this day.

I used to read the NYT regularly (they quit delivering it here after Ike). IMO, they do not knowingly print untrue statements. When they accidentally do, as with the Jason Blair scandal, they apologize in print.

Their problems are their unconscious bias and selective inclusion and exclusion of the stories that they publish. For example, they rarely publish a story of successful self defense.

All media have this problem. Reason is pretty good, but they also have their biases.

That's why you can't rely on one source.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:I used to read the NYT regularly (they quit delivering it here after Ike). IMO, they do not knowingly print untrue statements. When they accidentally do, as with the Jason Blair scandal, they apologize in print.

Their problems are their unconscious bias and selective inclusion and exclusion of the stories that they publish. For example, they rarely publish a story of successful self defense.

All media have this problem. Reason is pretty good, but they also have their biases.

That's why you can't rely on one source.

- Jim

They were terrible on the presidential campaign coverage. I am not so sure that their bias is unconscious, it seems pretty deliberate to me.

Reason is supposed to be biased.

I pretty much ignored the presidential campaign after Dr. Ron Paul failed to win the nomination (to my great surprise ). However, I expect the NYT to have a liberal position and favor Democrats.

You have to understand that an obviously biased medium will not change minds. Most subscribers to the NYT who are in the northeast are already inclined to vote Democratic. Probably most of the national subscribers are, also.

Few liberals will subscribe to Reason or the National Review.

I read the NYT and listen to NPR because they cover a lot of events that the rest of the media overlook, but they do not change my mind about my core issues.

- Jim

I've heard the NYT has a pretty good Sunday crossword puzzle.

Yeah. In fact, part of the reason that we subscribed was that I used to get the NYT at no cost, and my wife became addicted to the crossword puzzle.

I could read the paper online, but I spend too much time sitting in front of a computer as it is.

- Jim