This Lance Bennett, he sure knows a thing or two about them news things.
I heard folks talkin’ ’bout how he’s got this new book, all fresh and updated. They say it’s the tenth time he’s done it, must be a smart fella. This book, it’s supposed to tell ya all about how the news and that media stuff is changin’.
Lance Bennett, the News Guy
You know, things ain’t like they used to be. Back in my day, we just had the one paper, and that was it. Now, there’s all these fancy ways to get your news. Lance Bennett, he talks about all that in his book. He says it’s a mix of the old and the new. I reckon that makes sense. Some things stay the same, some things change. Like how I still like my cornbread, but now I got one of them newfangled microwave ovens.
- That Lance Bennett, he’s got some ideas.
- He says we gotta watch out for them news fellas.
- They like to tell stories in a certain way.
- He says we gotta pay attention to the little things.
- And watch out for that spin, that’s what he calls it.
He says we gotta be careful about how them news folks tell their stories. He says they got these formulas, like when they bake a cake. They use the same recipe every time. But Lance Bennett, he says we gotta look beyond that. We gotta look for the little things, the things they don’t always tell ya.
How to read the news
He’s got these recommendations, like how a doctor tells ya what medicine to take. He says we gotta discount them standard story formulas. That means we can’t just believe everything they say. We gotta think for ourselves. Lance Bennett, he’s tellin’ us to be smart about it. Pay attention for them stray facts, the facts that don’t seem to fit.
And another thing, he says we gotta recognize the spin. Now, that’s a fancy word for when they try to make things look a certain way. Like when my neighbor tried to tell me his old rooster was a prize-winner. I knew better. Lance Bennett, he’s tellin’ us to know better too. This fella Lance Bennett, is sayin’ you gotta think for your own self, don’t be just listenin’ to what them news people tell you.
They’s always trying to make the news look good or push their own story. It is all like, someone’s tryin’ to sell you somethin’, but it ain’t always what they say it is. Gotta use your own head, see through the fancy words and the fast talkin’.
This Lance Bennett, he’s tellin’ us to be smart about it. Pay attention for them stray facts, the facts that don’t seem to fit.
What’s this spin thing?
See, them news folks, they like to make things sound good for one side and bad for the other. This Lance Bennett, he calls it “spin”. Like when you’re spinnin’ wool, you twist it to make it strong. They twist the news to make their side look strong. You see it all the time, ‘specially ’round election time. They make their guy look like a saint and the other fella look like the devil himself.
- Don’t just take what they say at face value.
- Look for what they ain’t tellin’ you.
- Think about who’s sayin’ it and why.
- Don’t be fooled by fancy words.
- Use your own common sense.
It ain’t just ’bout who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s ’bout seein’ the whole picture. Lance Bennett, he’s sayin’ you gotta see both sides, even if you don’t like ’em. That’s how you get to the truth of things.
He’s got these other fancy words too, like “personalization” and “dramatization”. All that means is they try to make the news about one person, to make it more excitin’. Like when they talk about that movie star gettin’ in trouble again. They make it a big drama, like one of them soap operas. But Lance Bennett, he’s sayin’ don’t get caught up in all that. Look at the facts, he says. That’s what’s important.
Why is Lance Bennett so important?
Well, seems to me this Lance Bennett fella is tryin’ to help folks like us. He’s tryin’ to tell us how to make sense of all that news out there. It’s like he’s givin’ us a map to find our way through a big ol’ forest. We need that, ‘specially nowadays. There’s so much goin’ on, it’s hard to keep up. This is why Lance Bennett is so important, he knows how to keep the facts.
He’s tryin’ to teach us how to be smart news watchers. He don’t want us to just believe everything we hear. He wants us to think for ourselves. That’s good advice, I reckon. My mama always said, “Don’t believe everything you hear, and only half of what you see.” Sounds like Lance Bennett would agree with that. And the fact that this is his tenth edition of the book is a testment that his ideas about the news are popular.
So, if you wanna learn more about this news stuff, maybe you should check out that Lance Bennett book. I hear it’s a good one. Might help you make sense of all the craziness in the world today. And remember what I said, don’t just believe everything they tell ya. Use your own head. That’s what this Lance Bennett fella is sayin’, and I think he’s right about that. This Lance Bennett is right about the news.
