• entropicdrift@lemmy.sdf.org
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    16 days ago

    The votes will be counted before electors are appointed. The news networks are just calling it in advance whenever it’s clear which way it will go. It’s their job.

    • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nzOP
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      16 days ago

      The news media creates reality as the people see it. People make decisions based on their perception of reality that inform their political decisions. Therefore the news media is part of democracy, and it must construct reality democratically. That means waiting until the votes are counted.

      • entropicdrift@lemmy.sdf.org
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        16 days ago

        Not sure I understand. They don’t call it until after the polls close. How could calling it after the polls close influence people’s political decisions?

        • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nzOP
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          16 days ago

          Because Donald Trump is clearly planning, should Harris win, to use the earlier results as evidence that the election was stolen and they need to start a civil war about it.

          • entropicdrift@lemmy.sdf.org
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            16 days ago

            He’d do that regardless. Not that it apparently matters now.

            He didn’t need any substantial evidence last time. Just lies, repeated loudly and often with confidence and conviction.

            • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nzOP
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              16 days ago

              Last time, his coup failed. Drag was worried what would happen if 90% of people believed he was going to win, and then he didn’t.

      • OpenStars@piefed.social
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        16 days ago

        No - at least, not anymore. According to Reagan, news organizations are for-profit enterprises that manufacture profit for the stakeholders, by any means necessary, and they can say whatever they want.

        If you are from NZ you may have been confused with it being called “news”.

        Since this could read as snarky, I want to clarify: I am being 100% genuine. They used to be held to standards in order to be allowed to call themselves that. After that change though, while some organizations held on longer than others to some previous ideals, they were optional conventions at that point rather than mandatory.

        A lot of people in the US didn’t really understand what that change meant either.

        Anyway, there is no “must” here: a law, or standard, or convention or whatever we want to call it, without a means of enforcement is merely a suggestion.