Two sides to every story (or more)

 EXAMPLE 1

A man and a woman are in a car. He runs over their cat.

Man's side of the story: The cat ran in front of the car.

Woman's side of the story: If you were driving slowly, you wouldn't have hit the cat.

Cat's side: I knew I had a painful cancer, so decided to commit suicide by running in front of the car.

EXAMPLE 2

When I was teaching communications at Webster, I had the students do a role play. There was an HR person, a supervisor and an employee that was causing a problem. Those not involved had to write up a written warning.

Each person in the role play had the details of the problem which I created. They could embellish or ignore but they couldn't lie about the basics.

At the end we read what the observers had to say. Interestingly enough many missed the main facts of the situation based partially on what was said and wasn't said.

Mainstream media and RT

I've heard several mainstream politicians including Clinton and Kerry attack RT. As Rick says, RT must pose a threat to attack it so frequently. It is true, RT does not tote the US party line. It has dissident voices that would never be heard on US mainstream media. It does not have paid ex-generals working for defense companies telling the audience why was is good.

US Broadcasting Board of Governors Andrew Lack told The New York Times that RT posed a considerable challenge to US state media, comparing it to terrorist organizations like ISIS and Boko Haram. Notice the term "state media" and think censorship.

I personally like RT (along with the media for several other countries for a different perspectives). Fact checking when I can they seem to be telling the truth. I distrust them a little less of the Ukraine/Russia crises.

I have a certain amount of faith in Al Jazeera. Both my Arab friends and the CIA think they are too biased for the opposite side, which is why I have faith in them.

As a former journalist I know that news can be slanted not just in the choice of words, but also in the quotes used and the stories that are emphasized and ignored.

I believe that all news should be regarded as a search for a hidden agenda.

With the world in the turmoil that it is in, unless people educate themselves on what is happening we will all descend into the Neo-Medieval Age with a few rich and the rest of the world's on a damaged planet as serfs and slaves.

Note: CNN went off our cable network in the warren. It still is on in the nest, so if I need to know each minute detail of an air crash I can go up and watch.