What's The Diff Between News & Gossip?

[Lukeisbackcom]

Good people, I need your help.

I get lost in your eyes, I don't know why...

Whoops. Wrong window.

I am participating in a week long "Dust-Up" on the online OP/ED section of The Los Angeles Times.

latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-dustup-archive,0,4667134.htmlstory?coll=la-promo-opinion

By Monday morning, I have to prepare an essay of general interest for a family audience on this: "What is the difference between news and gossip? Is the distinction changing?"

Do you have any thoughts? May I quote you?

Here's some background on this duel to the death:

lukeford.net/blog/?p=490

God bless you in all of your legitimate endeavors.

[TheAmericanCannibal]

News is something you don't write, and gossip is something YOU create
Lukey

[SomeCreep]

Gossip is hot, news is not.

[american pervert]

Gossip

2. WHY GOSSIP?
Q: Do you ever tell others disparaging information about a person just for the sake of gossiping? If so, why?

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

Not true! Words can cause tremendous anguish and irreparable harm.

Jewish folklore tells the story of a man who slandered the town's rabbi. Later, he begged the rabbi for forgiveness, asking to make amends. The rabbi told him to cut open a feather pillow in the wind. This he did and the feathers scattered everywhere. "Now I'm forgiven?" asked the man.

"Yes," answered the rabbi, "as soon as you go and gather all the feathers." "But that's impossible!"

"Exactly. When we speak badly about someone, the damage spreads and has far-reaching repercussions. It is impossible to fully repair."

Words are powerful. They can tear apart relationships and ruin reputations or they can build and inspire.

Just about everyone gossips, eager to share and listen to the latest dirt. Why? What's the allure?

The Talmud compares a gossip to a snake because both attack their victims without tangible benefit. The snake bites and poisons a human being but receives no nourishment in return. And the gossip gains nothing by destroying another's reputation.

Gossip is not just a curiosity about the lives of others. It is an attempt to elevate ourselves. It's enticing to knock people down and instantaneously feel better about ourselves. We think we can bypass the difficult struggle in earning genuine self-esteem by overcoming our character flaws.

In the end, we lower ourselves. Like flies drawn to dirt, we ignore the good in people and focus only on their faults. We become petty and mean-spirited, looking at the world through negative, cynical eyes. We cause immeasurable pain and breed mistrust in the process.

Words have the power to bring theoretical ideas from the mind into the tangible world, creating reality. With our speech, we can either turn people into objects, stripping away their self-image, or we can elevate ourselves by affirming the good in others, showing respect and building a benevolent world.

The next time we're tempted to focus on the negative in someone else, let's channel that criticism inward and take a good, long look at ourselves. True elevation comes through improving ourselves, while searching for the positive in others.

[CIVMatt]

I HEARD you're gay.

You ARE gay.


See the difference?

[american pervert]

How, we might ask, did the situation become so bad that the Jews of Persia were almost destroyed? It all started by word of mouth-Haman’s mouth to be exact. The Talmud states that "No one knew how to slander like Haman" (Megillah 13b).

How did Haman slander? Haman spread rumors about the Jewish people. He told King Achashverosh that there was a nation dispersed throughout the king’s empire that lived by different laws than everyone else. They did not respect the king and it would be, therefore, fitting for the king to rid himself of these infidels.

Through these words the Jewish community of Persia was almost destroyed. Judaism speaks in great detail about the damage that can be done by slander and slanderous comments. The Talmud states that slander hurts three people: the person who says it, the person who listens to it and the person about whom it is said (Arachim 15b).

[Pleasurepays]

... what you meant to say is "i've been asked to write something that requires actual writing, not cutting and pasting as usual... so GFY, please write something for me, i'll be checking this thread from time to time for shit i can steal"

[J. Falcon]

Many differences.

Gossip is usually created out of spite, with no actual facts to support a statement. It's what you hear at the office, school, neighborhood, etc. Usually created to slander or "hurt" someone, gossip is like a living organism, as it grows and lives off the mood, humor, and most importantly, shallowness of people.

That said, we all love gossip. And gossip, just like news, can be addictive.

News is backed up by facts, reports, investigation, interviews, etc. Although not always 100% true, it is something we all consider real.

[J. Falcon]

Originally Posted by Pleasurepays

... what you meant to say is "i've been asked to write something that requires actual writing, not cutting and pasting as usual... so GFY, please write something for me, i'll be checking this thread from time to time for shit i can steal"

I hope that's not the case, though now I have my doubts.

[fris]

luke ford actually writing a real news piece? ya right

[mikesouth]

In todays society news gets very little interest. To many people Entertainment tonight is a news show, the idiotic criminal habits of Michael Vick are news. We have a president who is routinely stripping us of our constitutional rights, we have religious fundamentalists who are hell bent on killing as many of us as possible, we have China sitting ready to become the worlds largest economic power yet what we want to hear about is Michael Vick?

Michael Vick kills dogs and everyone is outraged...OJ Kills two people and nobody much cares anymore

the problem is we dont want to be made to think, we simply want to be told how to think. So that we all know we are politically correct on things.

In other words we are mostly a nation of idiots.

[Bro Media - BANNED FOR LIFE]

www.google.com/search?q=define:news
www.google.com/search?q=define:gossip

[D]

News is verified by independent and objective sources.

Gossip is not.

News is not injected with sensationalism.

Gossip is.

News is a rare commodity these days.

Gossip isn't.

[Pleasurepays]

Originally Posted by D

News is verified by independent and objective sources.

Gossip is not.

News is not injected with sensationalism.

Gossip is.

News is a rare commodity these days.

Gossip isn't.

hahahaa... where do you get your "news"? MIT Physics Dept?

[D]

Originally Posted by Pleasurepays

hahahaa... where do you get your "news"? MIT Physics Dept?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

And a subscription to the L.A. Times.

I know people that work in the MIT physics dept., and I'm pretty sure they aren't a news reporting agency.

[CuriousToyBoy]

Originally Posted by TheAmericanCannibal

News is something you don't write, and gossip is something YOU create
Lukey

Ha ha

LOVED it KB

[Pleasurepays]

Originally Posted by D

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

And a subscription to the L.A. Times.

I know people that work in the MIT physics dept., and I'm pretty sure they aren't a news reporting agency.

good to know my sarcasm is not lost on you.

FYI... nothing you said was true in the post i quoted, hence my reply which was an attempt at humor suggesting that the only place you could find totally unbiased, impartial and objective/welll investigated news would be in a university math lab. i will be around most of the evening to explain other cynical and sarcastic posts... don't hesitate to hit me up.

[D]

Originally Posted by Pleasurepays

good to know my sarcasm is not lost on you.

FYI... nothing you said was true in the post i quoted, hence my reply which was an attempt at humor suggesting that the only place you could find totally unbiased, impartial and objective/welll investigated news would be in a university math lab. i will be around most of the evening to explain other cynical and sarcastic posts... don't hesitate to hit me up.

I caught the sarcasm.

I just considered it a bit overly sophomoric for the topic. (and math and physics are not the same thing, for future reference. I don't think I know anyone in the MIT math lab.)

Personally, I think everything I said is true in my first post - which would be why i said it. My last comment in the post should have clued you in to my agreement that it's a rare thing to see true "news" these days... the idea that was the apparent source of your "humor."

But to redefine a genre to make it applicable for inferior modern trends is to shoot future generations in the feet, imho. "News" is what news should be... and a lot of what we're being fed today isn't "news."

And yeah - you can quote me on that.

[Madame0120]

Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.
Walter Winchell
(1897 - 1972)

[sniperwolf]

news - something worthy and beneficial

gossip - useless!

[KILL_FRENZY]

Originally Posted by J. Falcon

Many differences.

Gossip is usually created out of spite, with no actual facts to support a statement. It's what you hear at the office, school, neighborhood, etc. Usually created to slander or "hurt" someone, gossip is like a living organism, as it grows and lives off the mood, humor, and most importantly, shallowness of people.

That said, we all love gossip. And gossip, just like news, can be addictive.

News is backed up by facts, reports, investigation, interviews, etc. Although not always 100% true, it is something we all consider real.

he's right

[J. Falcon]

Originally Posted by KILL_FRENZY

he's right

Thanks