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The Least Trusted Profession?
- Thread starter Frisco
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iBlue
macrumors Core
Think about that for a moment. So you'd rather one MASSIVE MASSIVE company having to do ALL the weather forecasting and putting loads of local people out of a job? I also think it would decrease the already somewhat ineffectual forecasts. It should be down to the local level. It has the added benefit of community, blah blah blah.
Weather seems a strange issue to get distrustful about. I mean, I take it with a grain of salt because I know they're often wrong but I wouldn't go so far as to list them as distrustful or sleazy.
well i can either be referring to NOAA (U.S. government) or The Weather Channel (soon to be owned by Comcast). As i hate big government, I am referring to the Weather Channel.
Here are my observations:
I would say there are a few thousand meteorologists and assistants that work for local TV stations in the U.S. (lets say 4-5 people and 300-400ish channels?)
I have been watching this trend of dramatizing the forecast (so up North...giving snow storms way too much hype before it hits) and down south (hyping the possibility of thunderstorms etc.).
When you watch the weather channel, their observations always tend to be more conservative and in retrospective, more correct because they tweak the forecasts less. They use models and just run with the averages.
I have a faint meteorology background (i know about all the pressure bars and temp forecasting blah blah) so i know that 90% of forecasting is just what the computer spits out. The remaining 10% is using your history and background to tweak certain outcomes and go forward with your forecast accordingly.
So in the end, one large weather forecasting system can handle the nation's weather forecasting just fine and send out forecasts via internet and TV.
The problem is people like to see and hear the forecast said in a story. They want to know exact times things happen and end (which end up being wrong) and they generally like the entertainment aspect of weather men and weather women (although they are often wrong).
I, on the other hand, don't mind the weather channels monotone computer read me the forecast.
Alot of distrust in weather men's daily work. It is now becoming a means of selling the news broadcast and thereby advertisement revenues.
Why was it the top channel in ratings and viewers always had the highest snowstorm snow forecasts? haha i know I am stretching a little with this last line, but I have known second-hand accounts of news bosses tell weathermen to spice up the forecast and make storms sound worse than expected, with the cover of increasing precaution, but truthfully to increase viewers.
robbieduncan
Moderator emeritus
What? Like the Met Office in the UK? They efficiently supply pretty much all the forecasts in the UK...
iBlue
macrumors Core
OK, I think I get what you mean now.
Heh, well to be fair, we're about the size of Colorado here.
63dot
macrumors 603
So you went to DeVry, too? Actually, the school that creeps me out is Cal, where there have been some flying saucer type of protests. Red Revolution, anyone? 😉
Ab, you should become a comedian. You are seriously funny. 🙂
Gregg2
macrumors 604
I almost put newscasters on my addendum above. Since weather forecasters have been mentioned, and perceived inefficiencies....
There will be a big shakedown in the broadcast media at some point. The morning news show was noting today that the Oscars are coming up. They are sending two of their regular journalists to cover it for them. I'm sure the same network will have another cadre of their regular reporters there as well, and so will the local TV affiliate of the same network, and maybe a local radio station also affiliated with that network will send a reporter to cover it. With the shrinking ratings and revenues they are seeing, sooner or later all that overlapping reporting will have to be consolidated. It's already happened with newspapers and news magazines, and they're not done yet.
As for the theme of this thread, as was mentioned above about the weather, they "tease" you with these over-sensationalized sound bites that distort the story they are about to report in an attempt to keep you tuned in. You can't trust 'em!
There will be a big shakedown in the broadcast media at some point. The morning news show was noting today that the Oscars are coming up. They are sending two of their regular journalists to cover it for them. I'm sure the same network will have another cadre of their regular reporters there as well, and so will the local TV affiliate of the same network, and maybe a local radio station also affiliated with that network will send a reporter to cover it. With the shrinking ratings and revenues they are seeing, sooner or later all that overlapping reporting will have to be consolidated. It's already happened with newspapers and news magazines, and they're not done yet.
As for the theme of this thread, as was mentioned above about the weather, they "tease" you with these over-sensationalized sound bites that distort the story they are about to report in an attempt to keep you tuned in. You can't trust 'em!
I used to delude myself into thinking that online product reviews were accurate and unbiased. So, I'll throw "Online Product Reviewers" into the hat.
yeah..how about the Hawaii Tsunami watch this past Saturday. CNN's coverage was just shameful. Dirty Rick Sanchez basically killed some scientist just in an attempt to get him to say the how high the wave would be. Meanwhile when nothing happened, CNN then said..oh this might be a serious of waves that will take time to occur. I think their total coverage was a few hours. They all do it though.
instaxgirl
macrumors 65816
I think mobile phone salespeople are the only "professionals" that have ever actually lied straight to my face.
Letting agencies are almost always dodgy shysters as well though.
Letting agencies are almost always dodgy shysters as well though.
Surely
Guest
I've experienced that as well.
An AT&T salesman told me all sorts of lies about the 3GS when it came out in order to scare me into buying it, and AppleCare, from him. Unfortunately for him, I knew more than he did, and called him on it.
63dot
macrumors 603
I used to trust CNN, but no more. Some of my right wing friends told me it's just as biased to the left as I say Fox is to the right. Garbage I thought. And then came Anderson Cooper, spokesman for everything Democratic party. That's not news, it's propaganda.
I am a Democrat and I believe the party is doing fine without some fake newshead like Anderson Cooper. At least former CNN guy Aaron Brown played the political middle, but that's probably why he got dumped.
The more Anderson Cooper gets popular, the more he is like a celebrity and his news is more akin to Oprah's alternative medicine wonder doctors or Rush Limbaugh's so called expertise on national politics.
Realtors.
Seller's Agent - will do anything to get you to buy a property so they can make a commission.
Buyer's Agent - will do anything to get you to buy a property so they can make a commission.
Seller's Agent - will do anything to get you to buy a property so they can make a commission.
Buyer's Agent - will do anything to get you to buy a property so they can make a commission.
MattSepeta
macrumors 65816
Tv personalities. Network TV employees in general.
Commentators.
Watching olbermann is like getting teeth pulled. So two faced and hypocritical, angry and ignorant. Chris matthew sis just as bad, but possibly more obnoxious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYUmCj4yud4
Fox has some terrible people too. I cant stand when they have laura ingraham on. and glenn beck. who does he think he is???
Radio is almost as bad.
Jason Lewis is the only radio personality I can listen to, the only consistent voice out there.
I distrust politicians, but I distrust the people that make a living talking about politicians even more.
Besides, where have all the statesmen gone, I'm sick to death of politicians. I don't know who trusts them anymore?
Commentators.
Watching olbermann is like getting teeth pulled. So two faced and hypocritical, angry and ignorant. Chris matthew sis just as bad, but possibly more obnoxious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYUmCj4yud4
Fox has some terrible people too. I cant stand when they have laura ingraham on. and glenn beck. who does he think he is???
Radio is almost as bad.
Jason Lewis is the only radio personality I can listen to, the only consistent voice out there.
I distrust politicians, but I distrust the people that make a living talking about politicians even more.
Besides, where have all the statesmen gone, I'm sick to death of politicians. I don't know who trusts them anymore?
iBookG4user
macrumors 604
I voted "other" earlier. In my view the least trustworthy is a priest/rabbi/imam or whatever they call shamen these days.
renewed
macrumors 68040
I was a Realtor for a while and would literally tell my buyers when NOT to buy a house.
You sell them a dud then they won't refer you. You sell them a gem then they tell all their friends and family.
Maybe in Hollywood movies?! Are they really that corrupt in real life?
I put politician. Anyone in the UK will be very familiar with the recent expenses scandal....that really appalled me!
0098386
Suspended
They have to cover their backs. I mean can you imagine if a hurricane blew in and the weather reporter (M. Fish) said it would be fine? It's probably better to have people taking precautions just incase a current system turns nasty.
0098386
Suspended
No they're not. At least not in the UK, members of my family and a few school friends joined the police and they're your regular upstanding-members-of-society kind of people.
Exactly the reason why I voted politician too! Maybe I've been lucky but none of the other options ever let me down.