Reality Journalism is a new concept, and Brainsnap is proud to be a pioneer in the field. It's hard to explain, but once you see it, it should be obvious. Expect to see a proliferation of reality journalists in the near future.
- Comrade Che, after the Battle of Ling-Ling Pass, 1947

What is the need for Reality Journalism?

"Prior to the reality television revolution of the early part of this decade, viewers were content with fiction: fictional sitcoms, fictional dramas of all flavors, and, increasingly, fictional news. At a time when news sources seem to be heading in the direction of more fabrication and less real-life relevance, the public has a huge appetite for a new model of reporting. At Brainsnap, the facts have been changed to protect the innocent, but the resulting news feels more real. We think this helps our readers sleep better at night."

Where do you get your information?

"One way to uncover the hidden reality that fuels Reality Journalism is through careful comparison of mainstream media (MSM) renditions of news items. When you start to see inconsistencies, pay close attention. Apply common sense and a moderate knowledge of history (i.e. news that is more than a week old) and you may find yourself in samadhi, a state of heightened awareness a few steps short of nirvana. Continual repetition of this practice will lead to an enlightenment where the illusory structures of news stories dissipate to reveal the interconnectedness of corporate influence with every aspect of life. On days when we are feeling charitable, we include a link to a MSM sources that inspired a brainsnap. On less charitable days, you may have to resort to an Internet search."

Jesus?

"He expressed interest initially, but hasn't followed through. Satan, on the other hand, has become a regular contributor."

Why aren't you content to eat cheese curls and watch sitcoms like other well-adjusted freedom-lovers?

"We will once Rupert Murdoch or another mega-corporation such as AOL-Time-Warner-Netscape-HBO-CNN-Looney Tunes-Capitol Records-etc buys us out. At that point we will be able to fund our long-neglected investigative piece on Caribbean beaches."

The Onion?

"Some people seem to think there is only one satire site on the web. This is like saying there is only one blog on the web. Brainsnap, at least, doesn't constantly make fun of ordinary people. We pick less innocent targets."

How important is Satire nowadays?

"The world is becoming a scary place, and we lose something if patriotism or our fears prevent us from speaking the truth. Satire concerns exposing the myths forced down our throats via multi-million dollar media blitzes and carefully coordinated PR campaigns. There is always the necessity of reminding ourselves that the emperor is wearing no clothes, despite his press secretary's denials. That's the job of Brainsnap."

Online satire

"People in the United States are increasingly distrustful of media conglomerates. I can't tell you how often people think Brainsnap is serious news. I think this is because satire is simply about telling the truth, and people sense this, even if the facts are all twisted around. We've become increasingly credulous of ridiculous headlines at Fox News and CNN, because the media is in the hands of people who admire the profitability of the tabloid press."

Rupert Murdoch

"Rupert and I share some common bonds. We both come from Melbourne in Australia, and we share the same laconic cynicism and Aussie sense of humor. You have to understand that Rupert is not a conservative, nor is he a patriotic American, although he probably no longer has a bust of Lenin on his desk. He's a smirking, grasping opportunist, who is laughing at gullible Americans all the way to the bank. In Brainsnap's satire, we show much more respect for Americans than he does. Why isn't this country offended by his contempt?"

Why is satire dangerous?

"There is nothing that damages pomposity so much as ridicule. The Brainsnap writers understand how threatened these jackasses are by jokes at their expense. They can't engage satirists in debate without looking silly. On the other hand, a million voices raised in laughter against any nasty politician or businessman is devastating for them. It's the the most dangerous tool any of us have. And I can tell you, online satirists like Brainsnap, Social Scrutiny and Watley Review know this."

Liberals

"I founded Brainsnap as a way of dealing with the massive culture-shock of coming from a prosperous social democracy to a basically right-wing country. I can see how conservatives could be intimidated by a well-educated punk like me who has firsthand knowledge of a successful left-wing country like Australia. How do they reconcile the idyllic perception of a visit to Australia with its contamination by naive liberal wishy-washy practices like free health care and generous welfare? Oh! The terrible things happening in my homeland! High minimum wages! It keeps me awake at night."

George W. Bush

"Bush is not stupid. He is an outstanding politician, which isn't praise, by the way. His pretense of being a hick will go down as one of the most effective confidence tricks in history."

Comrade Che

I took my Honors degree in literature, specialising in Soviet satire - that is, writers living under fascism. I never realised how relevant my studies would become. The original samizdats were limited in what they could say by government censors. The situation is slightly different today.

Who are today's censors?

"The present form of censorship can be seen as a by-product of the growing corporate structure of our media. With parent companies transitioning their news divisions to a profit-oriented model, the incentive for in-depth and comprehensive reporting falls by the wayside. It's more censorship by omission or apathy. It's far easier to record opinionated individuals mouthing off for an hour than to take three hours off-air to fact-check their claims. It's far easier for a newspaper or radio station to print or air a pre-packaged story from a partisan source. Of course, at Brainsnap, we find such corner-cutting distasteful, unless it yields a funny story."

Why is this subtle censorship tolerated?

"On the supply side, fewer minds are making the decisions, and those minds are more comfortable with boardrooms than newsrooms. Keeping the bottom line constantly in mind results in lack of time for background research or for dealing with complexity. On the demand side, boredom and anger and passivity create a demand for entertainment-style content as an anodyne. Plus, both sides must invest considerable time to penetrate the growing complexity of economic forces brought about by globalization, and the increasingly sophisticated and targeted advertising and propaganda just for starters."

Isn't the job of writing real news reports harder than that of ridiculing what those writers have written?

"Yes and no. It's easy to satirize the media when they aren't fulfilling the role of their profession: researching, presenting context, pointing out inaccuracies, and moderating debates. There's a type of natural balance between the two: satire flourishes when good journalism falters, and fades when journalism rises to its challenge. Consequently, we predict a bumper crop of satire in the coming years."