ABCNews: "Economy Roars, Why Don't Americans Feel It?"

Ummm, gee, that's a tough one.

Gas prices, ABCNews' expert suggests.

Here's another theory: everyone's perception of the economy is made up of two inputs: 1, how I'm doing, and 2, how other people are doing.

People get almost all of their information about 2 from the media. Sure, people know a few dozen people, but their overal take on how the other three hundred million Americans are doing comes from the media.

And the media keeps telling them everyone else is out of work.

The media considers it one of its most important jobs to correct public misimpressions as regards matters of political import. They made sure everyone knew Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11; they even made sure every knew the "fact" that Saddam had "nothing" to do with Al Qaeda. Which wasn't true, but they felt the public wasn't well-enough informed on the issue, so they had to "over-represent the truth" on the question, as Al Gore might say.

So-- why no media effort to educate the public on how the economy's actually doing? No teachable moment here, huh?

Thanks to Allah.

posted by Ace at 12:06 PM

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