THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
April 7, 2013
The State of UFO Research Explored on The Paracast
Special Announcement: The Paracast is heard Sundays from 2:00 AM until 5:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
Why It's Important for You to Donate to The Paracast: Although ads help cover a small part of our expenses, the income they produce is never enough to pay your humble hosts decent wages. Also, we do not receive any revenue from the ads placed on the show by our network or local stations. So we hope you're able to help fill the gap, if you can, to help us cover increasing server costs and other expenses -- or perhaps provide a little extra cash for lunch and utility bills. No contribution is too small (or too large
. It’s easy to send a donation. We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. There's also a Donate link on our forums, at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com. And if you’ve had a problem getting to our Donate screen, please try again. We just fixed a serious PayPal access problem, and it should work properly now.
Attention U.S. Listeners: Help Us Bring The Paracast to Your City! In the summer of 2010, The Paracast joined the GCN radio network. This represented a huge step in bringing our show to a larger, mainstream audience. But we need your help to add additional affiliates to our growing network. Please ask one of your local talk stations if they are interested in carrying The Paracast. Feel free to contact us directly with the names of programming people we might be able to contact on your behalf. We can't do this alone, and if you succeed in convincing your local station to carry the show, we'll reward you with one of our special T-shirts, and other goodies. With your help, The Paracast can grow into one of the most popular paranormal shows on the planet!
Please Visit Our Online Store: You asked, and we answered. We are now taking orders for The Official Paracast T-Shirt and an expanded collection of other specially customized merchandise. To get your T-Shirt now featuring our brand new logo, just pay a visit to our online store at The Official Paracast Store to select your size and place your order. We also offer a complete lineup of other premium merchandise for your family, your friends and your business contacts.
About The Paracast: The Paracast covers a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions across the planet.
Set Up: The Paracast is a paranormal radio show that takes you on a journey to a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions. The Paracast seeks to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join long-time paranormal researcher Gene Steinberg, co-host and acclaimed field investigator Christopher O'Brien, and a panel of special guest experts and experiencers, as they explore the realms of the known and unknown. Listen each week to the great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris present a special episode featuring veteran UFO researcher Don Ecker, host of the Dark Matters radio show. During this episode we'll explore Don's outspoken opinions about UFO and paranormal research. He also answers a number of pointed questions from our listeners.
Chris O'Brien's Site: Our Strange Planet
Dark Matters Radio: Home
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. We recently completed a major update that makes our community easier to navigate, and social network friendly.
On the Pending Death of Journalism
By Gene Steinberg
Once upon a time, when you wanted to know the news of the day, you picked up a copy of your daily newspaper. If you were lucky enough to live in a city large enough to support two daily papers, you might read both, perhaps one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Getting two or more slants on a story, plus healthy dose of commentaries and editorials, would presumably give you a well-rounded view of the new most important events of the day.
Of course, it’s also true that, “when it bleeds, it leads,” which means that murders, fatal accidents and natural disasters get higher priorities regardless. That approach hasn’t changed at all over the years, particularly for broadcast outlets. I recall when I took a job with a suburban Philadelphia radio station in the 1970s, the general manager cautioned me to take careful note of that famous phrase.
Regardless, reporters were expected to treat their subjects fairly, while at the same time recognizing that there aren’t always two sides to an issue.
The move to online reporting and blogging has been the great equalizer. You don’t need a journalism degree, or even a commercial publisher to get your point across. All you need is a free WordPress.com blog or you can set up a cheap site with your personal (vanity) domain, install blogging software, and get down to business.
However, equal access doesn’t necessarily mean all views carry equal weight. Unfortunately, investigative journalism isn’t practiced very often. Traditional publishers have seen the sharp decline in advertising and circulation of their print publications in recent years. Moving online has been hit or miss when it comes to building revenue, so they have to cut corners. The reporters who might require weeks or months to get a story find themselves reassigned to the daily grind. Regional or foreign bureaus are shut down, and staff is reduced. The quality of the stories goes out the window.
All too often nowadays, reporters overcompensate to seem fair and balanced. So they will publish two or more sides of a story, even if one side voices a provably wacky viewpoint that has no basis whatever in fact. It is the equivalent of one side saying the Moon is made of green cheese and being granted equal weight against the traditional scientific evidence of the actual makeup of the lunar surface.
This is a more controversial area: The vast majority of client scientists say there is global warming, and that humans may in part be responsible. But the small number who oppose that point of view are given equal weight regardless of where the evidence points. Sure, the majority may be wrong, and real evidence ought to be explored regardless of where it points, but not at the expense of reporting the facts.
So there are people who, despite the evidence to the contrary, believe planet Earth is really 6,000 years old, but when some school systems want to give balance to that alternate point of view, you wonder whether science itself is being given short shrift.
When it comes to our offbeat paranormal corner of the world, you just know that, whenever an advocate of UFO reality appears on a major TV show, they will trot out the skeptic du jour to give a sense of balance. It doesn’t matter of the skeptic doesn’t know anything about the subject, and is limited to a handful of pithy phrases. It’s all about offering the veneer of being fair and balanced.
The other key issue in journalism is access, and I’m talking about being able to cover key news makers and get one-on-one interviews. If the journalistic outlet loses favor with the power brokers, they don’t get those interviews. This isn’t something limited to major newspapers and TV networks. Whether you watch ABC, CBS, NBC, or you prefer such cable outlets as CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC, you will find a curious reluctance to ask the hard questions.
Sure, sometimes it happens, particularly when a cable talking head with one political point of view engages in vitriolic attacks against a guest who holds a different point of view. Or just cuts them off mid-sentence. But it’s all about entertainment, not information, and that approach hardly encourages a guest to want to appear, since they sure don’t want to be abused.
But even if an interviewer wants to avoid taking a stance, all too often the newsmaker is given a free pass to spout pre-rehearsed talking points. You get a politician on there, and they will spout little more than short political speeches, and will never be interrupted or challenged to actually answer the hard questions. Again, it’s about access. If the show doesn’t get the right interviews, listeners tune out and go elsewhere.
It’s all about entertainment value, ratings and advertising.
I hate to toot our own horn, but one thing that separates The Paracast from most of those other paranormal shows is that we avoid guests who have claims that are patently absurd. Sometimes we’ll bring on a guest with questionable viewpoints, and ask them the hard questions to see whether they can stand the heat, and the cold light of responsible and critical analysis. Unlike a certain mass market paranormal show, we don’t expect a guest to submit questions for us to ask. Sure, a guest has the right to know what subjects we intend to cover, but we won’t list the questions in advance. Quite often a question arises in response to an answer. That’s the best way to conduct an interview.
The exception is our forums, where you listeners are free to post your own questions and comments in The Question Bank ahead of a guest’s appearance on the show.
In short, we won’t pander to listeners, and we won’t coddle guests who deserve critical analysis. That also explains why some of these people will never appear on The Paracast. They can’t take the heat.
The Paracast Copyright 1999-2013 Making The Impossible, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
April 7, 2013
The State of UFO Research Explored on The Paracast
Special Announcement: The Paracast is heard Sundays from 2:00 AM until 5:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
Why It's Important for You to Donate to The Paracast: Although ads help cover a small part of our expenses, the income they produce is never enough to pay your humble hosts decent wages. Also, we do not receive any revenue from the ads placed on the show by our network or local stations. So we hope you're able to help fill the gap, if you can, to help us cover increasing server costs and other expenses -- or perhaps provide a little extra cash for lunch and utility bills. No contribution is too small (or too large
. It’s easy to send a donation. We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. There's also a Donate link on our forums, at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com. And if you’ve had a problem getting to our Donate screen, please try again. We just fixed a serious PayPal access problem, and it should work properly now.Attention U.S. Listeners: Help Us Bring The Paracast to Your City! In the summer of 2010, The Paracast joined the GCN radio network. This represented a huge step in bringing our show to a larger, mainstream audience. But we need your help to add additional affiliates to our growing network. Please ask one of your local talk stations if they are interested in carrying The Paracast. Feel free to contact us directly with the names of programming people we might be able to contact on your behalf. We can't do this alone, and if you succeed in convincing your local station to carry the show, we'll reward you with one of our special T-shirts, and other goodies. With your help, The Paracast can grow into one of the most popular paranormal shows on the planet!
Please Visit Our Online Store: You asked, and we answered. We are now taking orders for The Official Paracast T-Shirt and an expanded collection of other specially customized merchandise. To get your T-Shirt now featuring our brand new logo, just pay a visit to our online store at The Official Paracast Store to select your size and place your order. We also offer a complete lineup of other premium merchandise for your family, your friends and your business contacts.
About The Paracast: The Paracast covers a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions across the planet.
Set Up: The Paracast is a paranormal radio show that takes you on a journey to a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions. The Paracast seeks to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join long-time paranormal researcher Gene Steinberg, co-host and acclaimed field investigator Christopher O'Brien, and a panel of special guest experts and experiencers, as they explore the realms of the known and unknown. Listen each week to the great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris present a special episode featuring veteran UFO researcher Don Ecker, host of the Dark Matters radio show. During this episode we'll explore Don's outspoken opinions about UFO and paranormal research. He also answers a number of pointed questions from our listeners.
Chris O'Brien's Site: Our Strange Planet
Dark Matters Radio: Home
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. We recently completed a major update that makes our community easier to navigate, and social network friendly.
On the Pending Death of Journalism
By Gene Steinberg
Once upon a time, when you wanted to know the news of the day, you picked up a copy of your daily newspaper. If you were lucky enough to live in a city large enough to support two daily papers, you might read both, perhaps one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Getting two or more slants on a story, plus healthy dose of commentaries and editorials, would presumably give you a well-rounded view of the new most important events of the day.
Of course, it’s also true that, “when it bleeds, it leads,” which means that murders, fatal accidents and natural disasters get higher priorities regardless. That approach hasn’t changed at all over the years, particularly for broadcast outlets. I recall when I took a job with a suburban Philadelphia radio station in the 1970s, the general manager cautioned me to take careful note of that famous phrase.
Regardless, reporters were expected to treat their subjects fairly, while at the same time recognizing that there aren’t always two sides to an issue.
The move to online reporting and blogging has been the great equalizer. You don’t need a journalism degree, or even a commercial publisher to get your point across. All you need is a free WordPress.com blog or you can set up a cheap site with your personal (vanity) domain, install blogging software, and get down to business.
However, equal access doesn’t necessarily mean all views carry equal weight. Unfortunately, investigative journalism isn’t practiced very often. Traditional publishers have seen the sharp decline in advertising and circulation of their print publications in recent years. Moving online has been hit or miss when it comes to building revenue, so they have to cut corners. The reporters who might require weeks or months to get a story find themselves reassigned to the daily grind. Regional or foreign bureaus are shut down, and staff is reduced. The quality of the stories goes out the window.
All too often nowadays, reporters overcompensate to seem fair and balanced. So they will publish two or more sides of a story, even if one side voices a provably wacky viewpoint that has no basis whatever in fact. It is the equivalent of one side saying the Moon is made of green cheese and being granted equal weight against the traditional scientific evidence of the actual makeup of the lunar surface.
This is a more controversial area: The vast majority of client scientists say there is global warming, and that humans may in part be responsible. But the small number who oppose that point of view are given equal weight regardless of where the evidence points. Sure, the majority may be wrong, and real evidence ought to be explored regardless of where it points, but not at the expense of reporting the facts.
So there are people who, despite the evidence to the contrary, believe planet Earth is really 6,000 years old, but when some school systems want to give balance to that alternate point of view, you wonder whether science itself is being given short shrift.
When it comes to our offbeat paranormal corner of the world, you just know that, whenever an advocate of UFO reality appears on a major TV show, they will trot out the skeptic du jour to give a sense of balance. It doesn’t matter of the skeptic doesn’t know anything about the subject, and is limited to a handful of pithy phrases. It’s all about offering the veneer of being fair and balanced.
The other key issue in journalism is access, and I’m talking about being able to cover key news makers and get one-on-one interviews. If the journalistic outlet loses favor with the power brokers, they don’t get those interviews. This isn’t something limited to major newspapers and TV networks. Whether you watch ABC, CBS, NBC, or you prefer such cable outlets as CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC, you will find a curious reluctance to ask the hard questions.
Sure, sometimes it happens, particularly when a cable talking head with one political point of view engages in vitriolic attacks against a guest who holds a different point of view. Or just cuts them off mid-sentence. But it’s all about entertainment, not information, and that approach hardly encourages a guest to want to appear, since they sure don’t want to be abused.
But even if an interviewer wants to avoid taking a stance, all too often the newsmaker is given a free pass to spout pre-rehearsed talking points. You get a politician on there, and they will spout little more than short political speeches, and will never be interrupted or challenged to actually answer the hard questions. Again, it’s about access. If the show doesn’t get the right interviews, listeners tune out and go elsewhere.
It’s all about entertainment value, ratings and advertising.
I hate to toot our own horn, but one thing that separates The Paracast from most of those other paranormal shows is that we avoid guests who have claims that are patently absurd. Sometimes we’ll bring on a guest with questionable viewpoints, and ask them the hard questions to see whether they can stand the heat, and the cold light of responsible and critical analysis. Unlike a certain mass market paranormal show, we don’t expect a guest to submit questions for us to ask. Sure, a guest has the right to know what subjects we intend to cover, but we won’t list the questions in advance. Quite often a question arises in response to an answer. That’s the best way to conduct an interview.
The exception is our forums, where you listeners are free to post your own questions and comments in The Question Bank ahead of a guest’s appearance on the show.
In short, we won’t pander to listeners, and we won’t coddle guests who deserve critical analysis. That also explains why some of these people will never appear on The Paracast. They can’t take the heat.
The Paracast Copyright 1999-2013 Making The Impossible, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!