Perceptions of the recession

GrammarGirl

If you're going to backtrack, there's no point in us having this debate, is there?

The way I read your comment was 'the less intelligent would be less likely to know', therefore insinuating that those of us in this thread who have admitted we wouldn't know about the recession if it wasn't for the media are less intelligent! If that's not what you meant, I apologise.

chewmylegoff

there's hardly anything you would be aware of without the media. all this talk of people being aware because they monitor FTSE prices - you can't find that out without the media. traders use the media to monitor the FTSE. the FTSE moves as a result of information conveyed to investors through the media, thus if you note it spiralling downwards you know that the media is full of bad news.

same with house prices. all conveyed through the media, and all an indicator of economic conditions.

almost everything is conveyed to you through the media, or through someone else who found it out through the media. with the obvious exception of the weather in your immediate locale right now, and what your kid did at school today (although the media sometimes tells you that too, if it's a SCANDAL).

so the answer to the pointless question is that noone would be aware of the recession without the media. just like you wouldn't be aware of what was happening on the other side of town without them.

GrammarGirl

stevetodd wrote: »

It wasn't, that is not what I said, but thank you for admitting that your statement was ridicleous.

What I said was:

I do concede that the less intelligent would be less likely to know though.

Which is not the same as saying only the intelligent would know (which you seem to be reading it as). There is a world of difference between saying 'would be less likely to know' and would not know. But for the record appologies to anyone that misunderstood and took exception to it, what I obviously menat was:

To those that could see the clues the more intelligent ones would be able to draw the recession conclusion from it, obvioulsy those not party to the clues would have no clues to conclude from!

Fair enough, I misread the meaning in your statement, so apologies.

stevetodd

lostinrates wrote: »

That's how I read it too...before your edit.

That's why I changed it, which I must point out was well before the attack by GrammarGirl

chewmylegoff

stevetodd wrote: »

It wasn't, that is not what I said, but thank you for admitting that your statement was ridicleous.

What I said was:

I do concede that the less intelligent would be less likely to know though.

Which is not the same as saying only the intelligent would know (which you seem to be reading it as). There is a world of difference between saying 'would be less likely to know' and would not know. But for the record appologies to anyone that misunderstood and took exception to it, what I obviously menat was:

To those that could see the clues the more intelligent ones would be able to draw the recession conclusion from it, obvioulsy those not party to the clues would have no clues to conclude from!

R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S

GrammarGirl

stevetodd wrote: »

That's why I changed it, which I must point out was well before the attack by GrammarGirl

I'm sorry if you feel I was attacking you! I honestly wasn't... I just disagreed with a point you made and though I'd vocalise it.

stephen163

Isolated shop closures on the high street is weak evidence of recession. I would be likely to equate it with a simple displacement effect, i.e., dominance of internet shopping and changing consumer habits.

During the last recession, the claimant count doubled (from 5% to 10%), so about 1 in 20 extra people were made jobless. My conclusion would be that unless you lived in a hard-hit area, you would need to be unlucky for it to affect you or a member of your close family. In a media free society, it would be hard to notice.

stevetodd

chewmylegoff wrote: »

there's hardly anything you would be aware of without the media. all this talk of people being aware because they monitor FTSE prices - you can't find that out without the media. traders use the media to monitor the FTSE. the FTSE moves as a result of information conveyed to investors through the media, thus if you note it spiralling downwards you know that the media is full of bad news.

same with house prices. all conveyed through the media, and all an indicator of economic conditions.

almost everything is conveyed to you through the media, or through someone else who found it out through the media. with the obvious exception of the weather in your immediate locale right now, and what your kid did at school today (although the media sometimes tells you that too, if it's a SCANDAL).

so the answer to the pointless question is that noone would be aware of the recession without the media. just like you wouldn't be aware of what was happening on the other side of town without them.

I think within the context of this thread the question of the media is restricted to the media specifically stating that there is a recession. Otherwise we would have to imagine ourselves in a time without any media whatsoever, yet have all the other modern investment products etc. it just wouldn't fit. So strictly speaking yes of course you are correct, perhaps the OP could clarify if that's what he meant.

Conrad

tyllwyd wrote: »

So even someone who didn't read the newspapers might walk down our local high street and wonder why the shopping centre is looking so empty.

But an objective view would also want to consider what effect changing shopping habits brings to bare on this.
I agree, the recession is bound to have an impact, but no thinker would merely equate boarded shops with recession, thats far too restricted a view.

lostinrates

Conrad wrote: »

But an objective view would also want to consider what effect changing shopping habits brings to bare on this.
I agree, the recession is bound to have an impact, but no thinker would merely equate boarded shops with recession, thats far too restricted a view.

Most people buy things though. Noticing changes in food cost, quite dramatic swings in fuels of various sorts, changes in mortgages and bank interest rates might all trigger people to try and join the dots, and even perhaps go into their bank and ask?