Distrust in media + more things

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Distrust in media

Interesting talk on how distrust in media skews to more right wing voters in the US. Gallup have tracked distrust in the media over time amongst Americans. The Poynter Institute is a respected media research organisation and has done a lot of work on media bias which affects and partly explains distrust in media. Distrust in media is also fuelled by rumours and conspiracy theories according to research by Louisiana State University. While identifying conspiracy theories is well understood, distrust in media continues.

Consumer behaviour

Interesting podcast by the Wall Street Journal on how retirement is something older people put off due to finance, ennui of retirement and the longer lifespan. It is interesting how technology is enabling avoidance of retirement and it even has its own hashtags #neverretire.

Innovation

Xerox is giving away the lab that birthed the PC, mouse, and laser printer | Quartz – what people tend to forget is that much of Xerox PARC’s early success was based on the researchers knowledge of the possible due to exposure to the ARPAnet and SRI’s ‘mother of all demos’.

I have touched on earlier posts on the rail origins of the barcode, here’s a great documentary on the Kartrak.

Japan

Early 1940s adaptation of the 47 Ronin story. The 47 Ronin is something that really happened in 1703 and is known in Japan as the Ako incident (赤穂事件). The protagonists were seen as examples to be emulated in terms of dedication, honour, loyalty, persistence and self-sacrifice.

Luxury

Why young shoppers are cool with counterfeits | Financial Times – is this any different from the role of ‘snide‘ goods in 1980s and 1990s youth culture?

Marketing

Counter-espionage law revisions raise concerns | Sinocism – I’d hate to be a brand planner covering China…

Media

Russia’s notorious private army tries to retool its image with action movies – War Is Boring – Wagner Group is making films to promote a more muscular Russia.