Moreover, there are a restricted number of news agencies to supply the news so that newspapers across the board tend to have homologous reports IMO. You can question me and say that four or five newspapers will give you an overall representation of reality but I would argue that the relatively few news agencies represent exactly what they are supposed to, from the viewpoint of Government. As an example, I can imagine that there have been few images, if any. of dead people from the Iraq war. There woould be fewer images of dead American bodies being shipped home to their native soil. Most images of Muslims would be accompanied by black masks, or of men marching with swords held aloft or chanting. In other words propaganda and censorship rule the world...
Finally, orangetom, I have to mention problems closer to home in the field of language. Bernstein referred to the 'restricted code' spoken by lower socioeconomic classes, in contrast to the elaborated code spoken by higher classes. He referred to the both codes in the following terms:
(i) syntax is more formally correct in the elaborated code, but looser in the restricted code. There are, for example, more subordinate clauses in the elaborated code, and fewer unfinished sentences.
(ii) There are more logical connectives like if and unless in the elaborated code, whereas the restricted code uses more words of simple coordination like and and but.
(iii) There is more originality in the elaborated code; there are more clichés in the restricted code.
(iv) Reference is more explicit in the elaborated code, more implicit in the restricted code: so the restricted code uses a greater number of pronouns than the elaborated code (see the example quoted at length below).
(v) The elaborated code is used to convey facts and abstract ideas, the restricted code attitude and feeling.
Bernstein
I grew up in a tough area which probably used restricted code as the common currency of spoken language. I probably grew up as a 'street' boy. However, my moment of turnaround came from visiting the Public Library for the first time at the age of 8. It was an eye-opening. mind-blowing experience to be trusted to borrow 6 books for 3 weeks. I never looked back and got a good education.
However, I find that, as an educator of 10 years now, the children in my school in a tough district use restricted code and it actually hinders examination performance. The variety of expressions use can adequately describe scientific phenomena, but their restricted code does not allow them to perform well in examinations that involve extended writing. They write as they speak. What is the cause? Even though they come from working class backgrounds, many exclude themselves from use of elaborated code by using video games and televised programmes as a sole source of learning, thereby excluding themselves from the pleasure of reading a book at their own paece and using their imaginations. They are exposed to 'quick fix' language and it shows. The demise of book-reading is one factor, amongst many, which has led to the demise of education. I would appreciate your views.
