I'm reading Bob Grahams Book...

[cease_fire]

And, Jesus...

It's a little like having a political perspective of Michael Moore’s Film.

I'm just getting into it now, and I have to say, once again - how in the hell is this administration still in power?

What am I doing wrong? I've donated over $20,000 to the Dem cause. I've marched, protested, voted with my wallet... My business makes ever effort to do business with other like minded companies...

My employees are rabidly Democratic, and I give them days off to attend rallies, house parties, etc.

What else can I do? My senator is Frank Lautenberg - a Dem Hawk, a Senator that I'm mostly proud of and one that represents me well.

So how come 50 million Americans are going to vote for this ass face that's in the white house?

...

...

Maybe it's time to stop supporting the politicians, and start FIGHTING the media. If the media is going to remain the 4th estate of our country, then is ought to be responsible for providing a perspective free of partisanship...

... and full of truth.

Media Matters is doing a fine job of creating archives, but it's not enough.

I hate to say it, but it's fighting time.

Someone tell me, what do I do next? How and to whom do I take the fight to?


Edited for spelling..

[madmax]

1. Check this out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x787100

Call your Congressman/woman, post to blogs, etc.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. It may be obvious to you

but... stop watching the news, the American Mainstream Media.

If you, me and everybody else STOPS watching the ratings will go down

Now take it a step further... contact the sponsors and tell them, NO MORE buying your product.

Once ratings drop low enough they will eiher go off the air, or will correct their ways... and they will have to correct tehir ways, news still makes some money. But we need to tell them, enough of Jacko and lacy and all that.

AAR is now on the air and by my count is growing and growing fast. Heck the local San Diego Station is a clear media channel station.

I will compare to my other love, gaming. I freelance and write in the gaming industry... you know dungeons and dragons and all that. Every so often I encounter a gamer who is buying another product from his or her favorite game. They complain all the way to the register... when you confront them, they usually go, but, but if I stop buying the game will die... my usual answer is... SO? the only thing companies understand is when you and I vote with our wallet. Hence STOP WATCHING and STOP PAYING for the media you do not like

Are there worth while mags to get? YES, I subscribe to both the Atlantic, Harpers and In These Times... why? I suport the media that is doing its job. Do I buy the local paper? Only if I need paper to line the bird's cage... do I watch CNN? HELL NO... and by the way I am better informed than those I know who watch CNN... I also read the wires on my computer and FOREIGN PRESS... in particular the Guardian and the Observer...

But WE ALL NEED TO SO THIS... and I mean ALL OF US.

[cease_fire]

3. To watch TV or to NOT watch TV...

First, Air America gets my support, and they will continue to do so.

But I want to be critical of a theme that floats around the DU - the one urging people not to watch mainstream news.

That's not the answer. It may make someone feel better, it may eliminate the stress of being bombarded by lies, half-truths and spin, but it does nothing to change the mandate of corporate media.

The myth of Nielson ratings being directly proportional to advertising revenue needs to stop now for 2 reasons:

1) It's not the basis that media buyers use to determine advertising retail costs. It's based on reach (station saturation) and population of the stations coverage. Viewership numbers are extrapolated from statistical sampling.

2) Boycotting TV in hopes to hurt the networks is, by it's very nature, a protest of INACTION. And the fact of the matter is (I speak from industry experience) NOT watching has no affect on how much money an ad spend generates for a station.

I'm not talking about making choices to DO or NOT DO something - that's a Democratic Lifestyle decision that I made long ago.

I'm talking about Push Advertising. I'm talking about Action.

It's getting to the point where lies from the Right are SOP. How can that be? How can they get away with it?


And how can we stop it? WE. Not by NOT watching, but by ACTING with clear purpose.

[mmonk]

4. Fighting the media would help

but there aren't many elected dems eager to take up these pressing matters surrounding 9/11 and its coverups or the Iraq war and the falsehoods that induced it. This, I think, bothers me most.

[Robert Oak]

5. Bush & media WDM's....FEAR

Bush I and Bush II have both used fear so effectively...
people feel fear and just do not think...

I suggest not only writing the media ...but putting statements
of fear about Bush Corporation into the responses.

We need to use his favorite weapon, creation of fear, against
this administration...

and frankly I am really afraid if Bush wins another term...
afraid of economic meltdown, afraid of further destruction of the US
with insane trade agreements, fear of further erosion of the middle
class, fear of further terrorist breeding grounds being created...

and so forth.

[Nordic]

6. I'm with you. The media is the greatest enemy of the people today

but nobody knows it but us, because most people only get their information from the media.

Just today, my wife finally e-mailed all her brothers and sisters about the election, curious about their thoughts, and all of them said they were voting for Bush. Her/our arguments against Bush came back with the usual lame-ass talking points against Kerry that we've all heard a zillion times in the media, including "I don't like Kerry's wife". Good God.

These are intelligent people, and they're not evil, they are just 100% completely misinformed.

If people knew the truth, they would run Bush and his cronies out of town on a rail.

I've struggled, too, with what to do about the media. The only thing I can think of -- start a fund drive and BUY our own media company. Of course, we're talking a huge amount of money here because a) they're not for sale and b) they're not for sale because they're owned by the biggest corporations on the earth who know good and well the power of owning the media.

This is the BIGGEST problem facing America today.

I've talked to lawyers about suing them, but nobody would touch it. Freedom of speech, etc.

[Proud_Lefty]

7. Don't cry out conspiracy, just get depressed

I've been fighting total depression over the past week, all over this campaign. Sometime I feel like I'm running for president. The stakes are deep and we all have to do everything we can to get these madmen out of office. To realize that you're standing or living in the middle of misinformed, hardheaded idiots proud of themselves for speaking the B.S. talking points of Faux and the administration is now gravely affecting me. Normally, I'm really upbeat and fun, even a little on the outrageous side, but I almost feel like withdrawing. I know that isn't good, but this media is influencing millions and it's starting to affect me.

The other side of me always comes in though and says to fight the fight and believe in the good we know overpowers evil. (Do I sound like a cartoon character?) With God, love, truth and endurance, we can only win in the long run. I'm now staying away from the media. I just can't take the crap anymore.

Hold on tight for the crap to only get nastier and let's fight them till they're out of it.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. kick