If you had to choose the worst single source of news on the internet, you would find it hard to beat The Daily Mail. It offers a daily dose of skewed stories, most of which are trivial, none of which are served up without a sneer. They are well known for expressing outrage at perceived pedophiles, whilst simultaneously promoting photos that sexualise young girls. Immigrants and benefit-dodgers are the source of all evil and the key story of the day is an expose on which shop Kim Kardashian’s massive arse and tiny brain has most recently graced with her custom (i.e. collected freebies).
Judging from the comments on their sad articles, the average Daily Mail reader is a narrow-minded, xenophobic, mean-spirited, racist middle-Englander. We would like to think that such people are few in number, so it is depressing to learn that it is the world’s most popular on-line new source with 190 million readers. Is there no hope?
Fortunately there is, thanks to Alain de Botton.
I first experienced the wisdom of Alain de Botton when I read his book “The consolations of philosophy”. He took six afflictions (unpopularity, not having enough money, frustration, inadequacy, a broken heart and difficulties), and offered advice on each via the teachings of one of the great philosophers. It all felt very calming and wise; especially to a single, penniless man with tiny genitals and no friends.
He has since popped up in various documentaries, and now is the driving force behind a new on-line publication, The Philosopher’s Mail; and it looks intentionally like The Daily Mail.
The Philosopher’s Mail takes stories that were, or might have been, in The Daily Mail and gives them a completely fresh perspective. A rationale for the enterprise can be found here, from which this is an extract:
Nowadays, the most attractive, charming, sexy and compelling news outlets enjoy unparalled influence over the minds of tens of millions of people. But unfortunately, they rarely put out content that might make the world a better place.
At the same time, there are lots of serious, earnest good people attempting to change things, but they put out publications full of very interesting and dense articles that only reach tiny and already-convinced audiences.
So the good ideas go nowhere and the not-so-great ideas mesmerise us from every screen. Therefore, the world doesn’t change.
The goal of the Philosopher’s Mail is to prove a genuinely popular and populist news outlet which at the same time is alive to traditional philosophical virtues.
For too long, philosophers have been happy merely to be wise and right. This has offered them huge professional satisfaction but it has not influenced the course of society. The average work of philosophy currently reaches 300 people.
Hence the challenge that explains the birth of The Philosophers’ Mail, a new media outlet rooted in popular interests, sensibilities and inclinations of the day - but that tries to read and caption the news with an eye to traditional central philosophical concerns - for compassion, truth, justice, complexity, calm, empathy and wisdom.
The results are Daily Mail “stories” that would normally make you feel angry, bitter and defiled, re-written to impart wisdom, and a feeling that the world could be made a better place; if we all stopped reading the poisonous vitriol that is the Daily Mail.
Read The Philosopher’s Mail here.
Comments 🔗
2014-03-27| ChristianPFC sayszenophobic -> xenophobic
2014-03-28| genuinej saysSorry. I missed that one.
2014-03-28| Spike saysThank you Christian. Genuinej, you are slipping.