There is no such thing as "the news". At any time, millions of events and trends are happening around the world. Editors select a tiny handful of them and declare them newsworthy.
And, with the help of thinktanks and lobbyists, they invent stories out of thin air.
And, with the help of thinktanks and lobbyists, they invent stories out of thin air.
They do so in the service of an agenda. If the medium is owned by a billionaire, they select or invent stories to suit his worldview, his interests, and those of the group with which he identifies.
Even Noam Chomsky's Five Filters model is arguably too generous. Much of what hits the front pages has no connection to "raw news" at all. 
This makes the BBC's habit of following the newspapers' lead all the more reprehensible.
Any news organisation that claims to be free from proprietorial control should decide for itself what is important.
Any news organisation that claims to be free from proprietorial control should decide for itself what is important.
We find ourselves trapped in a glass jar of the media's making, failing to see or understand the prison they have created, shouting at each other:
"You're the problem!"
"No, you're the problem!"
"You're the problem!"
"No, you're the problem!"
If anyone doubts that thinktanks (or opaquely-funded lobby groups, as they should be known) work with the media to shape the news agenda, they should read the autobiography of Madsen Pirie, founder of the Adam Smith Institute. Here's a summary of the relevant section:
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
