IMO, the intensity of the general conversation surrounding this issue can't be high enough. It comes from a burning disdain towards the general level of acceptance re: the media machine, Mondi.Mondi wrote:I suppose you're a libertarian at heart. You just raised the intensity of this thread about 4 notches.
In my view, there is more to life than individual autonomy. Systemic issues are real. Hence my argument that SNP is part of the problem even if they provide reasonable coverage.
With that being said, some responsibility lies on the players and management to tune out the hacks. But, I can't agree that it is merely a choice as to whether duplicitous suggestion can undermine your confidence.
Furthermore, hockey media aren't exactly Pulitzer material, I'm completely fine with a reasonable standard of professionalism and respect for the craft mixed with a small dose of support for the home team. I'd call it: mature journalism.
I'm not a libertarian of any stripe that you're thinking of - I'm simply a proponent of good old fashioned free thought.
Free thinking is an active endeavour, and the majority are getting lazy. That's resulted in an epic greasy slide right down into the swamplands for most information outlets, because they know they won't get challenged on anything.
I bolded what I did above because you're right - they are real. But the real question is - what is going to be done about this problem? How is it going to change? Until the consumers demand something different, the answer is: it won't.
In case there's a misunderstanding: I'm not upset with you or your suggestions. I understand what your point is, and I even agree with most of it in principle. I think I even agree that it likely affects the performance of the team in some immeasurable sort of metric. But the concerns you're raising just won't be heard anymore, because these hawks don't care. They're not concerned in the slightest about the aspirations you're addressing here.
I suppose we can't forget that players are for the most part still young and impressionable, and mangement needs to ensure that the players are enlightened, but if there's anything an NHL'er of any brain capacity can understand, it's motivation.
In a market like this one, it's critical that they grasp that "media" is a highly calculated precison apparatus that is motivated by money and power, and has had nearly every ounce of humanism and integrity sucked out of it long ago; the age of whatever journalism you're looking for - mature or otherwise - is nowhere to be seen in mainstream mediums, Mondi. I don't think we'll see such a thing in our lifetime.
