Why this country can't get ahead...

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Chip

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I've come to the conclusion one of the reason this country can't get ahead is because of the Dominican press.

For whatever reason I have a more difficult time with Dominican newspapers than I have with newsources from other countries due to the obscure words and terms. I, however, don't have as much trouble understanding the Dominicans news programs on tv.

It appears that Dominican journalists are more impressed with appearing to be super intelligent rather than being able to communicate to a majority of the population.

I'm sure this is reflected in the low number of newspapers sold in this country. E' pa'lante que vamos - not with this attitude.
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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How about the super stupid argument that a reduction of the absurd 150 dollar tax on airline tickets is not needed because the DR is already the #1 tourist destination in the Caribbean!???
Yeah, like a 100 dollar drop in ticket prices would not open the place to several hundred thousand more tourists???? I mean, with Spirit having $1 fares FLL-STI or SDQ, can you imagine the nuimber of flights on a long weekend??? It the fare were just 53 dollars R/T??

New hotels, services, everything!! But no, the attitude seems to be ": WE have enough tourists...."

Talk about stupidity...I am sure there are much better ways to do this...

HB
 
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RacerX

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Well, devils advocate chip...why does it matter if the newspapers are badly written if they dont sell? Or the people dont read them? Or cant read them? Sounds like a cycle to me.

HB, #1 destination temporarily.....

I would rather have street signs like the rest of the civilized world. And not to have every neighborhood uses the same system for naming streets. AND while I am at, how about a system for numbering houses like the rest of the world...in order! Pars on one side Non-pars on the other. Starting low and then consecutively getting larger as the street does?

Then the airfare thing would be great. A $50 roundtrip tax is doable. Let s put the asses in the seats. So we can all go to Porto Plata and get shook down by ratty resorts and busted goat face hookers. Hurray!
No one has enough tourists until they dont have any.
 
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el forastero

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When I first came to the DR, I needed the services of a notario for some translations. I went into the office of an abogado near Clinica Abreu in Sto Dgo. His English was perfect, and we had a good chat.

His advice to me for learning Spanish was to read 25 good books in Spanish with my dictionary next to the book, and looking up every word I didn't know. He said that by the time I finished the 25 books, I would have a broad vocabulary and a good understanding of the Spanish language.

His parting advice was to NEVER read Dominican newspapers because they were so poorly written that it would only confuse me......

Do the morning news crews on TV still hold up the newspaper and read the news to all of those folks who can't read but want to follow along with their newspaper at home?
 
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ExtremeR

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Chip said:
I've come to the conclusion one of the reason this country can't get ahead is because of the Dominican press.

For whatever reason I have a more difficult time with Dominican newspapers than I have with newsources from other countries due to the obscure words and terms. I, however, don't have as much trouble understanding the Dominicans news programs on tv.

It appears that Dominican journalists are more impressed with appearing to be super intelligent rather than being able to communicate to a majority of the population.

I'm sure this is reflected in the low number of newspapers sold in this country. E' pa'lante que vamos - not with this attitude.
Click to expand...

Chip, would you provide us with some example of this?

I have found some newspapers using mild slang words specially in headlines to attract eyeballs, but then it would be well redacted.
 
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pkaide1

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Chip said:
I've come to the conclusion one of the reason this country can't get ahead is because of the Dominican press.

For whatever reason I have a more difficult time with Dominican newspapers than I have with newsources from other countries due to the obscure words and terms. I, however, don't have as much trouble understanding the Dominicans news programs on tv.

It appears that Dominican journalists are more impressed with appearing to be super intelligent rather than being able to communicate to a majority of the population.

I'm sure this is reflected in the low number of newspapers sold in this country. E' pa'lante que vamos - not with this attitude.
Click to expand...

This is the same issue in the US too with all the liberal newspaper going out of business.
 
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rice&beans

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pkaide1 said:
This is the same issue in the US too with all the liberal newspaper going out of business.
Click to expand...
Technology is more of a reason.......Internet speeds are so fast in the USA..........More people are reading the paper online........ Wi Fi everywhere...... Cheap laptops (and cheap monthly payments to get the Internet)...... It's just a cost effective way to get the News out..............It has nothing to do with Liberal views......Information is information..............I know all you conspiracy theorists would like to think it has something to do with the Taboo word LIBERAL...........But you would be wrong..........It's all about the MONEY..........
 
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mountainannie

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Chip said:
I've come to the conclusion one of the reason this country can't get ahead is because of the Dominican press.

For whatever reason I have a more difficult time with Dominican newspapers than I have with newsources from other countries due to the obscure words and terms. I, however, don't have as much trouble understanding the Dominicans news programs on tv.

It appears that Dominican journalists are more impressed with appearing to be super intelligent rather than being able to communicate to a majority of the population.

I'm sure this is reflected in the low number of newspapers sold in this country. E' pa'lante que vamos - not with this attitude.
Click to expand...

Sorry - "low number of newspapers?" Hillbilly corrected my list the other day but we have about 5 dailies and a weekly or something like that-
Listin, Nacional, Hoy, El Caribe, Diario Libre-- and Clave-- Which is certainly more than any US city that I know. More than NYC or DC or Boston, for sure...

I do find "Hoy" a little hard going sometimes but the others are easy enough. I am very surprised at the high number of papers here considering the population.
 
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Chip

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mountainannie said:
Sorry - "low number of newspapers?" Hillbilly corrected my list the other day but we have about 5 dailies and a weekly or something like that-
Listin, Nacional, Hoy, El Caribe, Diario Libre-- and Clave-- Which is certainly more than any US city that I know. More than NYC or DC or Boston, for sure...

I do find "Hoy" a little hard going sometimes but the others are easy enough. I am very surprised at the high number of papers here considering the population.
Click to expand...

I meant to imply low circulation. In the States before the advent of the internet, everybody had a subscription to a daily paper. Here it is rare.
 
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Chip

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ExtremeR said:
Chip, would you provide us with some example of this?

I have found some newspapers using mild slang words specially in headlines to attract eyeballs, but then it would be well redacted.
Click to expand...

I'm not talking about slang terms or the errors, just that they like to use obscure words and terms - something by far the majority of the popultion doesn't understand.
 
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rubio_higuey

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Chip said:
It appears that Dominican journalists are more impressed with appearing to be super intelligent rather than being able to communicate to a majority of the population.
Click to expand...

Yeah, especially when they write absolutely stupid things : like
"hoy DNCD detuvo Mary Smith and John British Citizen.."
 
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rubio_higuey

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el forastero said:
His advice to me for learning Spanish was to read 25 good books in Spanish with my dictionary next to the book, and looking up every word I didn't know. He said that by the time I finished the 25 books, I would have a broad vocabulary and a good understanding of the Spanish language.
Click to expand...

I would second the advice, with ONE difference:

Once you have vocabulary built up (I would say intermediate level), watch TV newscasts (for proper language and pronunciation) and read books in the language you want to learn, but with NO dictionary. It may be difficult in the beginning, but by the end of the first book you will have gasped almost anything. Only consult the dictionary when you THINK you know what the word means but want to confirm 100%. (btw even if you don't understand a specific word, it will "come" to you as you see that word written and used in various contexts and situations - it really works).

It worked for me to learn both English and Spanish to near perfection (of course, followed up by living years in native environment).
 
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engineerfg

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Damn them interlectuerals huh?

The reason this country won't get ahead is because of the picaresca corrupt politicians who are busy filling their pockets instead of investing in the people.

It's that simple.

Blaming the newspapers is like blaming your maid for not cleaning the mirror in your house properly - every time I look in the mirror I see this fat ugly guy looking back at me. Clean it better miss maid, till the guy is handsome and fit!
 
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wuarhat

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Chip said:
I've come to the conclusion one of the reason this country can't get ahead is because of the Dominican press.

For whatever reason I have a more difficult time with Dominican newspapers than I have with newsources from other countries due to the obscure words and terms. I, however, don't have as much trouble understanding the Dominicans news programs on tv.

It appears that Dominican journalists are more impressed with appearing to be super intelligent rather than being able to communicate to a majority of the population.

I'm sure this is reflected in the low number of newspapers sold in this country. E' pa'lante que vamos - not with this attitude.
Click to expand...

engineerfg said:
Damn them interlectuerals huh?

The reason this country won't get ahead is because of the picaresca corrupt politicians who are busy filling their pockets instead of investing in the people.

It's that simple.

Blaming the newspapers is like blaming your maid for not cleaning the mirror in your house properly - every time I look in the mirror I see this fat ugly guy looking back at me. Clean it better miss maid, till the guy is handsome and fit!
Click to expand...

It?s not the words that are used to tell the stories that are the problem. It?s that writing whatever the government official just said, is considered to be journalism. Of course if looking for the real story can get you killed you can understand the puppy dog nature of the press.
 
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rubio_higuey

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I have yet to see somebody reading a paper, magazine or a book on a bus --foreigners excluding-- (and not just local steamy guaguas but Metro, Caribetours, etc.) or in a waiting room. Most people just look on the ceiling or have the "dead /not present look". When I know I have to go somewhere and will have to wait, I take a book or a magazine with me. Quite often these are the only moments I get time to read something.

And we all know, reading opens up the horizons..and the mind. But, who READS in the DR? That's so booooring...
 
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suarezn

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rubio_higuey said:
And we all know, reading opens up the horizons..and the mind. But, who READS in the DR? That's so booooring...
Click to expand...

Specially when you can be drinking a cold one or a nice bottle of Barcelo instead while talking BS with your "neighbors" that you just met on the bus.
 
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A.Hidalgo

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I see the top three problems of why the DR can't get ahead. In no particular order:

A. Education
B. Education
C. Education

In the last 10 years the government has contributed an average of about 2% of GDP for education. One of the lowest in LA. Private institutions are not enough to pick up the slack. The poor will keep receiving sub par education.:disappoin
 
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Chip

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A good example of what I'm talking about is I spent over 10 hours on layover in Miami and I read almost the entire local newspaper, the Miami Herald, without any issues. Sure there were words and phrases I didn't know but from the context I was able to figure them out and in fact incresed my vocabulary by quite a few words.

Unfortunately, reading the local Dominican paper often leaves me stumped.

For you Dominicans that can't see this discrepancy I think it would be difficult because most of you are obviously well educated as you certainly wouldn't be posting on an internet forum in another language if this weren't the case.

I think the free press is inherent to a functioning free democracy. However, if the press can't effectively communicate news to it's country's constituents they are at best just window dressing.

If we want to get ahead in the DR the free press needs to engage the local population rather than use the medium as merely an exercise promotes one's own command of the language.
 
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mountainannie

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A.Hidalgo said:
I see the top three problems of why the DR can't get ahead. In no particular order:

A. Education
B. Education
C. Education

In the last 10 years the government has contributed an average of about 2% of GDP for education. One of the lowest in LA. Private institutions are not enough to pick up the slack. The poor will keep receiving sub par education.:disappoin
Click to expand...

And, as we say in NYC, WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?

Why is it that the DR -- which clearly WANTS to 'get ahead" is not, in fact, doing what it needs to do most, which is to increase the general level of education?

Now when I put on my "conspiracies R us" hat, it is clearly to keep the poor, poor... and reserve education as the private reserve for the wealthy to continue to be the owning class.


Perhaps, since all the middle class pays for private education, there is a resentment against using the money for the poor?

Can anyone explain this?

(Chip - get a dictionary and use it - really the newspapers here may indeed be written above the 7th grade level - which is the standard for the NYTimes- but I am sure that you can master them!)
 
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Chip

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mountainannie said:
(Chip - get a dictionary and use it - really the newspapers here may indeed be written above the 7th grade level - which is the standard for the NYTimes- but I am sure that you can master them!)
Click to expand...

MA

The purpose of this thread isn't to complain that I can't read the papers here (and yes I use a dictionary) rather to make a statement that the newspapers don't seem interested in engaging the locals.

It is certain the level of education in the DR is much less than the latin community in Miami and yet the Spanish used in the newspapers is at a much higher level apparently.

We'll never get ahead in this country as long as the news agencies are content with alineating the population.

While it is certainly relevant that the education system is lacking and for this reason many people are illiterate or are functioning at a grade school level of reading everybody know nothing will be happening anytime soon. On the other hand a few news publications written at the level of the Miami Herald here in the DR could really make a change now to the current dynamic imo.
 
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