Like a dog with a bone, the news media won’t let a story drop!

2015 December 2015 Señior Tech Technology

By Señior Tech from the December 2015 Edition

Is it my imagination? Have you noticed how television and radio news report on a story. They focus on a story until a more glamorous or more sensational story comes along? The new story gets all the focus, while the old story is yesterdays news. Like a dog with a bone in it’s mouth, that bone will not drop until the dog finds a bigger bone or that bone is completely gnawed. I am reminded of the Ebola scare last spring, it was on the news daily, but after it lost its appeal, nary a mention. Has Ebola disappeared, no, but there were and are newer more exciting stories to exploit. I watch the news to be informed of current and world affairs. However, it seems that is impossible to get balance. When there is an election, the rest of the world seems to disappear. If there is a major disaster or scandal, the media sharpens their collective teeth and gloms on at the expense to any or all other issues. I have noticed many inaccurate statements made by reporters as stories break, just so they can be the first to report on air.

In my opinion, the news media has lost objectivity because ratings have become the most important metric in story selection. The corporations that own the networks have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders. The ratings determine how much the advertiser’s can charge companies to host their commercials. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against profits. But I would like to have a balanced reporting of current affairs. Fortunately, there is an alternative.
If you have a smartphone, tablet, or computer you can say goodbye to what has become infotainment by these corporations. Flipboard, is an app that is available across all previous mentioned technologies. It is completely free and you can read stories from CNN to your local newspaper, or television network.

On your computer browser go to www.flipboard.com. Android devices can get the app at Google Play. The app is available at the App Store for Apple devices. You will setup a free account to view your content across multiple devices and platforms.

Once Flipboard is installed on a device or computer, it is easy to configure the app and select the news streams of interest. The image below shows the configuration screen on my iPad.

The main categories to choose from include; News, Business, Tech & Science, Sports, Photos & Design, Arts & Culture, Living, Food & Dining, Travel, Style, Music, Books, City Guides, and Big Ideas. As you can see, there are a variety of interests for consumption. The best thing, the service is totally free!

Flipboard aggregates the most current stories first. For example, if you have selected The New York Times as a feed; the most current stories will appear for reading. If the story includes video clips, the clips will play within the app.

Flipboard provides up to the moment stories from thousands of sources so anyone can get different viewpoints on almost any subject. I highly recommend Flipboard. Did I mention it was free?

In May of this year I strayed from my regular technical writing to discuss my experience buying a car in Manzanillo. At that time, I gave glowing reviews of the Nissan dealership. Last month, I said I would provide an update about their storage service.

Prior to my return, I called to have them change the oil and filter in the car. On November 2nd we picked up our car. The car was stored inside, and after Hurricane Patricia, I was relieved to find no damage except that the paint had a slight oxidation. The service staff told me to set an appointment and that they would polish it at no charge. The cost for storage for six months was nil (the first season of storage is at no cost when you purchase a vehicle from them). The normal cost for storage is $20 pesos per day.

I can say with 100% confidence that the Nissan Dealership in Manzanillo is a company deserving of your business.

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