journalism & media

Wikileaks, StratFor and the Importance of Primary Sources – How to Lower Your Own Ignorance

In books, current affairs, international relations, journalism & media on 2 March 2012 with no comments

Socrates supposedly once said that one should just accept that one’s own ignorance is the only thing to be certain about. In my experience, a lot of our own ignorance is formed and shaped by how we choose to inform ourselves. The less you think about the sources you get your information from, the more [...]

Reading newspapers makes you stupid

In journalism & media, philosophy on 14 September 2011 with 1 comment

Reading a newspaper is probably more of a signalling mechanism than an actual expression of interest and curiosity about what’s happening in the world. By publicly reading a newspaper, you signal a certain intellectual sophistication and declare yourself as part of a cultural and political group, depending on the paper you’re reading. If you really cared [...]