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Author: Edward MS

Oregon sought propaganda campaign to publicly demean nonprofit health care provider

Oregon sought propaganda campaign to publicly demean nonprofit health care provider

Oregon’s Oregon Health Authority put together a taxpayer funded “communications plan” (a.ka. propaganda program) to publicly demean and malign a non-profit health care provider because the OHA did not want the state legislature to pass laws supported by the non-profit health care provider. OHA was responsible for Oregon’s failed Cover Oregon, a health exchange that never enrolled anyone before being shut down after wasting nearly 1/2 billion taxpayer dollars and disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens. OHA…

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Nonsense: “the supervolcano is ready to blow and WIPE OUT life on Earth”

Nonsense: “the supervolcano is ready to blow and WIPE OUT life on Earth”

Really? YELLOWSTONE volcano has been struck by 1,400 earthquakes in recent weeks, leading to fears that the supervolcano is ready to blow and WIPE OUT life on Earth. Source: Fears that deadly Yellowstone supervolcano about to BLOW after 1400 earthquakes hit | Science | News | Express.co.uk Click the link and play the video with am ominous and scary musical sound track to really drive home the point – IT’S GOING TO BLOW AND KILL US ALL! This story does…

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News media creates entirely fictional cause for couple’s suicide deaths

News media creates entirely fictional cause for couple’s suicide deaths

Here is how the story appeared: A New York couple upset over their rising health care costs jumped to their deaths this week, leaving a note that they could no longer pay to treat their medical issues.   The suicide took place in New York City’s Murray Hill neighborhood early on Friday, the New York Post reported. The couple was both in their 50s, the report noted, and they were found dead after having jumped from a building between Park…

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Charts that do not mean what you think they mean

Charts that do not mean what you think they mean

A popular meme in media and social media is commentary about income distribution. The typical chart distributes the population into fifths or quintiles, like the chart shown here. The popular interpretation of this chart is to find your income level at left and conclude you are stuck in that quintile forever – and your prospects for advancement are non-existent. Did you know this interpretation is wrong? Most people do not stay in the same quintile. People look at this chart,…

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Social media fake propaganda poster

Social media fake propaganda poster

This is a photograph of an animal crossing bridge in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. This bridge has nothing to do with the Netherlands. The photo was stolen from Joel Sartore, a professional photographer for the National Geographic Society, Geo, Smithsonian and others, and the photo is featured on his own page: https://www.joelsartore.com/keyword/greatest-hit/page/3/ Why do people create these garbage posters? And why do people share them? Why do people then add supportive comments to these posts? And why are people…

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Media priorities driven by conflict and ratings (“clicks”)

Media priorities driven by conflict and ratings (“clicks”)

In media, propaganda and advertising it’s all about “emotional jolts per minute”. The media provides “celebrity-like” coverage of political personalities but seldom does serious policy reporting. This problem is pervasive in political coverage but even rears up in coverage of health, science, business and technology. Personalities, and especially those that generate “emotional jolts per minute”, are the focus of reporting – not serious analysis or policy understanding. ●Do news sites give serious, sustained attention to policy issues as well as…

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Using Questionable Statistics to Drive Up Wedding Costs?

Using Questionable Statistics to Drive Up Wedding Costs?

What is the claimed average cost of a wedding in the U.S.? $35,329 in 2016, says “The Knot” (not including costs of a honeymoon trip). More on their press release. This value is *widely* distributed in the media, on social media, and in online forums. Other estimates come from Conde Nast Bridal Infobank and The Fairchild Bridal Group. How can an average wedding cost $35,329 when 62% of American have less than $1,000 in their savings account and only 10-20% have…

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The remarkable power of propaganda

The remarkable power of propaganda

I just scanned Twitter for items about the Affordable Care Act. I estimate 99% of the Tweets were lies, contained significant errors, left out key information, or significantly exaggerated points. This included linked news stories at mainstream news services such as the Los Angeles Times and NPR and others, which contained significant inaccuracies or left out crucial information and data that refuted the thrust of the article. How many read the ACA? Probably a number approaching zero. How many researched…

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Should you make political posts on Facebook? No, you should not.

Should you make political posts on Facebook? No, you should not.

This is a MUST READ item – see the link below. Should you share political posts? The first question you should ask before sharing anything to social media, political posts in particular, is “Why? “Why are you sharing this post? What do you hope to accomplish?” We sometimes think that our Facebook shares are so brilliant, insightful, and righteous that people of opposing opinions can’t help but be swayed and won over by our argument. Nothing could be further from…

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Montana is a Democratic Party state, not Republican, contrary to news reporting

Montana is a Democratic Party state, not Republican, contrary to news reporting

(Note – this post is about the media – not about the candidates or the political parties). Actual headlines: And so on. There are more headlines implying Montana is a Republican state. Except Montana has a long history of electing Democrats 3 to 1 over Republicans for Federal office: The assertions made by the headlines are false. The media has invented a fictional meme either to create controversy or heightened emotions or is trying to offer a crude explanation as…

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