We’re doomed (Part 61)

The bad news is that the US public continues to wallow in TV-induced ignorance, as revealed by the latest Pew Survey on News Consumption:

The prime minister of Great Britain is not well known among the (US) public. Just more than a quarter (28 percent) can correctly identify Gordon Brown as the leader of Great Britain.

The good news is that those who watch fake TV news such as “The Daily Show ” and “The Colbert Report” (i.e. primarily young people) are more knowledgeable about current events than watchers of “real” cable news shows hosted by Lou Dobbs, Bill O’Reilly and Larry King, etc.

Comedy of Errors

Gordon Brown has only been Prime Minister for a year or so, so perhaps some ignorance is justified on that count. On the other hand I’ve twice taken letters addressed to some town or other in the “UK” to post offices here in the US and been asked by postal workers, “The UK — that’s the Ukraine, right?”


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You’re currently reading “We’re doomed (Part 61),” an entry on Bodhipaksa's blog, bodhi tree swaying

Published: Aug 19 2008

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