[eweissenbach]

Now, before I get electronically boot-stomped by lovers of the Villages, let me say I have been to TV, I love TV, I am planning to buy a home in TV in the next year or two, and I think the developers have done a magnificent job of creating a retirement utopia. With that said, I was reading an article online in the Daily Sun about TV being the second leading home builder in the U.S. and the positive slant on TV compared with the leader struck me. It got me to thinking, and I wanted to simply feel out TOTV - How do you feel about the media in TV being totally controlled by the developer? The Daily Sun is a decent newspaper (really more of a daily sales brochure), but it will report no news that is controversial, negative to the development or the developer, or portrays the community in a bad light. The developer also obviously controls the political message with a very one-sided viewpoint. Now equally obviously, anyone can get either print or electronic versions of any other paper in America that they choose, so it is not like there is no access to other news or opinions, but not much news happening in the Villages is being reported in those tomes. It really is not a big deal I guess, but it is a little creepy that the local news is so tightly controlled. JMHO

[graciegirl]

I cannot find my combat boots to electronically stomp you. Oh yes. I never had any.

If you/we quickly absorb the information that the truth about The Daily Sun is that it is The Daily Fun and it is owned by the Republican developer than you/we can continue to enjoy your/our life.

Being the ancestor of a couple of pretty good journalists, sometimes that is hard, but being quite a bit older than I used to be, I find that good news beats bad news to hell and back.

I would say subscribe to the Orlando Sentinel but I don't like the Orlando Sentinel more than I don't like The Daily Sun.

It will be alright.

[eweissenbach]

Oh beleive me Gracie, I will lose no sleep over it. It occured to me after I posted that it reminded me of when I was in High School and wrote for the student newspaper. Every thing that went in to the paper had to be cleared through the administration. Obviously nothing controversial or negative to the school ever made it into print.

[pooh]

I agree with Gracie. There are lots of other newspapers one can subscribe to if negative news is something one wants to read. There are some for sale at each postal station, too. Actually, newspapers print old news anyhow, computer sites are updated throughout the day.

You get to enjoy the local paper. It's nice to have a bit less negativity in our lives, though every once in a while, there will be something printed about a negative event taking place in the community. Heck TOTV lets one know more quickly than any newspaper could about what's going on around here....

[jmitchell]

I know what you mean about it seeming kinda "weird" but that is what I love about TV. The fact that the whole place is sort of "make believe" is sort of "weird" but most of us that are moving here have spent enough of our lives out in the "real" world, so we know it's out there.

I think many people are still involved in "outside", "real world" projects and causes - but it's nice to see that you can create a little piece of "heaven on earth" ... if only we could spread all the love, friendliness, and good will around our country and the world -- then we'd be on to something!

[pauld315]

You can always slip back into reality when you surf the web or watch televised news. When I visit there I find it pretty refreshing not to have to face that everyday with the developer owned media.

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

Now, before I get electronically boot-stomped by lovers of the Villages, let me say I have been to TV, I love TV, I am planning to buy a home in TV in the next year or two, and I think the developers have done a magnificent job of creating a retirement utopia. With that said, I was reading an article online in the Daily Sun about TV being the second leading home builder in the U.S. and the positive slant on TV compared with the leader struck me. It got me to thinking, and I wanted to simply feel out TOTV - How do you feel about the media in TV being totally controlled by the developer? The Daily Sun is a decent newspaper (really more of a daily sales brochure), but it will report no news that is controversial, negative to the development or the developer, or portrays the community in a bad light. The developer also obviously controls the political message with a very one-sided viewpoint. Now equally obviously, anyone can get either print or electronic versions of any other paper in America that they choose, so it is not like there is no access to other news or opinions, but not much news happening in the Villages is being reported in those tomes. It really is not a big deal I guess, but it is a little creepy that the local news is so tightly controlled. JMHO

Hi eweissenbach,

I know what you mean. To me, it's one of the main reasons there is no substitute for the expression about drinking the TV you-know-what. (Oh, ha ha-- not being able to use the expression even makes the expression more appropriate.)

Yes it's weird, but it contributes to that bubble-like, surreal TV persona we all toast, drink and embrace.

Besides, unlike the fake history, it is what it is.

[K9-Lovers]

Ditto to all the remarks above. We enjoy the Daily Sun/Fun, and don't mind that it is politically slanted or celebrates good news. We are all old enough to know how to burst the bubble and hear about the real world when we want to.

[zcaveman]

Doesn't bother me too much. I read the Orlando Sentinel to get the news and then I read the Daily Sun to find out what is going on in TV.

The Daily Sun is telling me what I need to know about TV. I like it and it is informative. It is much better on national and local news than it was a couple of years ago.

I would never depend on the Daily Sun for what is happening in the outlying areas or the world.

[Talk Host]

Think about being on board a cruise ship. 90% of what you see and hear on the "on-board" entertainment system is designed to keep you in the vacation mood. There have even been reports that when a serious fire occurs on a ship, the passengers don't know about it til somebody at home sees it in CNN.

Can you imagine:

"bong, bong bong, bong......GOOOOOOOD morning, this is your cruise director Scott. You'll notice several Coast Guard helicopters circling over head. The passenger in cabin 2011 was thrown overboard last night by his drunken wife.

We'll be arriving at CoCo cay this morning for a fun filled day on a paradise Island, where last week one of our passengers had a very serious laceration to his foot from a broken beer bottle.

The captain reports that we'll be sailing into a squall line tomorrow with winds in excess of 80 miles per hour, so please say in your cabins and lash your children to a bed post.

As you all know, viruses spread like wildfire on a cruise ship and we've had a serious outbreak of diarrhea on board, so please wear latex gloves the remainder of the cruise.

Tonight in the starlight lounge, we'll be featuring Mondugo Fernandez, our engine room supervisor who will be entertaining you by playing the saw. He's standing in for the Rockettes who were ordered off the ship when drugs were found in their cabin.

The crew regrets that there well be no breakfast today because of the salmonella outbreak in fresh eggs.

That's it for now, have a greeeaaaaat day on board the Retirement Dream."

JLK

[salpal]

LMAO

What talented people are on TOTV! We call the Daily Sun the Pollyanna Paper, but somehow we have to read it daily. It really is just about entertainment and sales and I personally find some of the editorials and cartoons offensive, but just ignore all that....besides where else am I going to find out where the next garage sales is going to be held.

[missypie]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

Think about being on board a cruise ship. 90% of what you see and hear on the "on-board" entertainment system is designed to keep you in the vacation mood. There have even been reports that when a serious fire occurs on a ship, the passengers don't know about it til somebody at home sees it in CNN.

Can you imagine:

"bong, bong bong, bong......GOOOOOOOD morning, this is your cruise director. You'll notice several Coast Guard helicopters circling over head. The passenger in cabin 2011 was thrown overboard last night by his drunken wife.

We'll be arriving at CoCo cay this morning for a fun filled day on a paradise Island, where last week one of our passengers had a very serious laceration to his foot from a broken beer bottle.

The captain reports that we'll be sailing into a squall line tomorrow with winds in excess of 80 miles per hour, so please say in your cabins and lash your children to a bed post.

As you all know, viruses spread like wildfire on a cruise ship and we've had a serious outbreak of diarrhea on board, so please wear latex gloves the remainder of the cruise.

Tonight in the starlight lounge, we'll be featuring Mondugo Fernandez, our engine room supervisor who will be entertaining you by playing the saw. He's standing in for the Rockettes who were ordered off the ship when drugs were found in their cabin.

The crew regrets that there well be no breakfast today because of the salmonella outbreak in fresh eggs.

That's it for now, have a greeeaaaaat day on board the Retirement Dream."

JLK

Oh that is the funniest thing I've read in a long time. I could add a couple more, but you hit the nail on the head!

[judylou]

In my opinion The Daily Sun is a wonderful paper that lets you know for the most part what is going on in The Villages. If you want hard news all you have to do is watch television to see who is killing who.
I get lots of information from this forum and would read it just to read Gracie's input. What a wonderful writer she is. It makes my day.

[EdV]

For locally relevant news, there’s the Leesburg Daily Commercial. Their on-line version is pretty good too.

http://www.dailycommercial.com/

[bkcunningham1]

I think we all understand that the Daily Sun reporters aren't hard news reporters or investigative news reporters.

But in all fairness to the reporters and editors at the Daily Sun , they do win many awards in their newspapers circulation division for newspapers of less than 40,000. One of the contests they took home many awards for in 2010 was in the Florida Society of News Editors contest.

BTW, I agree with you about Gracie.