That's it. I despise the media MORE than the BFEE. Yep. That's right.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

Why? I EXPECT the BFEE to be evil and slimy. I know their MO. I put NOTHING, and I mean nothing past them. (BFEE=Bush Family Evil Empire for anyone wondering.)

But the media? The supposed government watchdog? Now we've got to have people watchdogging the MEDIA full-time!!!

The last straw for me occurred this afternoon. Mr. Moonbeam had the LOCAL news on. They had a political science professor from an area university on as a "political analyst." He was discussing the upcoming debates. He CONTINUALLY criticized Kerry. Over and over and over. Mentioned all the "hurdles" Kerry has to overcome (most were bogus and completely flimsy stuff). It was nothing but negative and only on Kerry.

Then they talked about local and state races here in Texas. The interviewer (an anchor) said, "How much do the Republicans stand to win?" Tons, the "analyst" said, tons. Dems don't stand a chance.

WHERE IS THE BALANCED COMMENTARY???? WHERE???? NO SENSE OF BALANCE WHATSOEVER.

There was NO ONE there to counterbalance the strange world this man is living in in which Republicans never seem to have any negatives to overcome.

I have to tell you guys, I find this completely and totally disheartening. The very people who are supposed to act as watchdogs, who are supposed to be fair and balanced (that phrase is now a joke) are the ones who seem to be WORKING for one of the political parties, and it ain't the Democrats.

I use Media Blaster. I write LTTEs quite a bit and have had seven printed in the last year. I find I cannot even watch visual forms of "news media" anymore, beyond the BBC World News or CBC (Canadian). How sad is it that I have to turn to news sources outside of my country to feel I am getting a more balanced picture?

Print media is only a TINY bit better, in my opinion. How, HOW can the left ever get a fair shake with this kind of stuff going on? What is the answer? Bring back the Fairness Doctrine? Bust up the big corporations that own all the media sources?

Disheartened Moonbeam.....

[dogman]

1. The media is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BFEE.

They don't want to be outsourced like others who stand up for what is right.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

3. So what do we do?

Honestly I don't see how we can EVER get a fair shake. It's so damn slanted it makes me sick. And not just a little bit of it, but MOST.

[dogman]

14. I came to this realization during the primaries.

It all made sense that what happened to Gore was deliberate and would only be amplified this year. The best thing we have now is the internet, so I expect it to be brought in line next. As long as ignorance is bliss this country is on the verge of fascism like we always fought against. Nationalism and religious fanaticism and vicious greed are destroying our country. My biggest fear is it will be too late to recover. I wonder if I will have to escape my country like the people who escaped Nazi Germany. It's a scary thought when you have children and grandchildren.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

16. Geez I know

and I go back and forth between wanting to stay and fight to restore my country and just leaving. Most of the time I feel the former way and not the latter.

But I can't say I haven't checked out other places to live. Sad, because according to the genelogical research my mom did for years, our people first came here when there were just a few colonies and they came here to escape religious persecution in Wales (they were Protestant at a dangerous time to be Protestant).

So this place was perfect for them.

Sigh.

[dogman]

18. Well it's gotten me involved politically for the first time.

We have to fight to save it but the irony of your history says a lot. I guess if we are content to live like a third world country we can stay. I guess that's the irony of they hate us for our freedom line. That is the most amazing thing to me, that no-one calls them on their lies.

[acmavm]

2. The media in this county have committed a form of mass suicide.

They've demonstrated over and over again that they are corrupt, that the don't have to faintest idea what true journalism is, and that they're more than willing to whore themselves out in order to promote the bush* administration/corporate agenda then do their jobs, which is to present a true and accurate report to the American public of what is going on in this country.

They have made themselves obsolete. The internet has taken over because the American media machine has shown itself to be absolutely corrupt and worthless.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

7. I certainly hope the internet

emerges as a good source of balance. As it is right now it is so massively huge as to seem overwhelming to Average Joe as to where to get news. And they tend to just go to the internet versions of the mainstream press, such as CNN, Fux, MSNBC, etc.

[Melodybe]

4. Kerry told the reporters at the DNC rehearsal that

their long reign was about to end. I think that he plans on breaking up the media monopoloies and reinstating the fairness doctrine.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

6. Did he really?

The Fairness Doctrine was killed in 1987 under Reagan and I think we've suffered for it.

[Pobeka]

9. And is he ever set up perfectly to do it.

That old lie about the media being to liberal. Beat into the heads of the average media-consuming american.

All Kerry has to do is point out that with more owners, we get more diversity of opinion. The rabid right will be boxed into a corner, they either take it, or stand against it and show their true colors.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

13. Ooooo good point!

Then their true colors will show.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

5. Side Question

Do you think the right wing people who scream about the "liberal media" are just pulling a form of reverse psychology or do they ACTUALLY believe the media's spin is liberal?

How the HELL can you watch the mainstream visual media in this country and think they are liberal?

[Cha]

10. They don't think it's Liberal media...

limpbaugh et all tells them it's true and they believe that.

[Pobeka]

12. No, I don't believe it for one second. It's psychops for the masses.

The right wing screamers know who owns the media, and the salaries of the staff.

[Wind Dancer]

17. The "liberal media" was

established as part of the propaganda, there are several great documentaries available that explain how the entire system was set up.

This is an excellent one for you to download:
http://mysite.verizon.net/res7dhyg/id3.html


This is a great read and shows the original manifesto written in the early 70's.

http://www.mediatransparency.org/stories/powell.htm

[Cha]

8. We are going to be the first campaign to

win without the media Or did that happen before?

Didn't the media give Truman a disservice? I think I read that somewhere..whatever, I've seen this for almost 5 years now and that's when I started paying attention and I know now that they were after Clinton's hide, too.

We need to make them obsolete!

I got this from bartcop.com

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. I wish there was something in what you said...

that I disagreed with. Alas, I can find nothing.

The media treatment of Kerry is the same here in NYC as it is in Texas and presumably it's the same around the country.

It's a different media than it was in the Viet Nam/ Watergate era. In those days there was at least a modicum of independence and responsibility... and the profession seemed to attract people who of intellect and integrity.

Now the media.... virtually all of it... reflects the POV of the corporate state; no more , no less. People entering the the profession, with very few exceptions, are moral and intellectual jelly heads.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, debunking and discrediting the $$$$ infotainment media had got to be priority # 1 for progressive people in this country.

This may take the form of sponsor boycotts as well as development of alternative ways of sharing info.


It will take time, but it's good that more and more people are talking about this stuff. The fact that the media is behaving as if scripted in this election has alerted many who were only suspicious in the past that the big media is in fact completely in bed with corporate interests and has no other useful function.


Paul


Paul

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

15. I agree.

I totally and completely agree, Paul. It HAS to be a major goal of all progressives in this country who care about fair, balanced, ACCURATE media. They are NOT supposed to WHORE for the government they are supposed to REPORT on it.

And all these talking heads all but busting out the confetti for a bush win make me SICK. Five weeks to go and talking like he's got it wrapped up.

The only thing I hope is that it keeps some people who would vote for bush complacent and lazy, but I worry about it suppressing the votes from people who think "oh well why bother voting for Kerry, bush probably won anyway?"

It's so damn frustrating and I don't know what to do beyond what I am already doing.....

I really hope to see a busting up of media ownership in this country and SOON.

[Smarmie Doofus]

20. Conventional wisdom is...

the lower the turnout, the better for Republicans. If so, the "heads" cheerleading might be effective indeed.

Sounds like you're doing plenty. I've come to be somewhat fatalistic about these things. I think the thing to remember is that it takes time. Things tend to EVOLVE.

Generally, I think, for the better.

Even if K wins, the issue of media bias and corporate control of the electoral process will remain, difficult, ongoing struggles requiring energy and resourcefulness.

I do think , judging by posts of DUers to this board ( among other things) , that lots of people are coming to realize for the first time just HOW dishonest and corrupt the media actually are. This alone is a major development 'cause we're brainwashed from birth that we have "free" media in this country.

People are begining to wonder: "freedom for whom", exactly? And freedom to do WHAT , exactly?




Paul

[Kimber Scott]

19. There was a book on the founder of Time Magazine...

and how he "manipulated" the news way back when. The generals in the Civil War complained about the media giving away their positions and the early US politicians always thought the newspapers were giving them a bad shake. I think the media has always been screwed up. Although, I do long for the days when some guy sat in front of the camera and told me what happened that day and let me figure out what to think about it for myself.

We're allowed to do nothing for ourselves in this country anymore. I shouldn't say "not allowed," but doing things for ourselves, like thinking, birthing babies, working on our cars, growing and cooking our food, making our clothes and educating our own children, has become very inconvenient. Probably because we have to spend so much time working for someone else to ensure other people don't get a chance to do things for themselves, either.

In the meantime, we're getting horrendously fat and we get to pay other people to help us get skinny, too. Ahhhh, the American dream.

On edit: I'm not sure it was Time magazine. I'm going to search my bookshelf now.

[Smarmie Doofus]

21. It was probably Henry Luce...

if it was Time Mag.

And yes, many examples of media twisting the news to confuse the masses and get innocent people killed all thru American history.

I like your description of our " service" economy" ... if that's the correct term. Interesting how we live, isn't it?

Paul

[Booster]

22. Today I emailed all the major news groups and told

them I thought they were wrong in calling the first debate for Buah because of the color of his tie, his folksiness, his hair, he didn't fall down, etc. I asked if during this debate could they just report what happened like real journalilists should. ha It was fun.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

23. You did a pre-emptive chastisement eh?

That does sound good.

I just get so sick of it. I really do.

[grasswire]

24. I have.....

....been promoting the idea of a citizens bill of rights that would loosely regulate the axis between journalism and government, as other industries are governed by bills of rights. It could be ratified by Congress, guaranteeing the same unfettered access to the White House as news outlets already are guaranteed to Congress (their access to Congress is codified). It would be non-partisan.

I have drafted the section that would deal with access of credentialed correspondents to the White House. The rest remains to be drafted.

The most compelling portion of my draft is the return of authority for the credentialing of White House correspondents to their professional organization. The WH seized that authority several decades ago. This administration has abused the authority.

I urge you to consider the idea of a citizens bill of rights and its promotion as probably the most immediate action that could begin to right the wrong. The Fairness Doctrine, of course, is another step but passage of that law would be difficult if not impossible.

You can see the draft of the first portion of the bill of rights at http://webdems.blogspot.com

[NightOwwl]

25. Agree with all those who say media as we know it today...

will soon be obsolete. And they are so out of touch, when it happens they will never know what hit them.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

26. Oh I totally agree

I mean I read these columnists in the paper pretending to know what's going on in the real world (everday citizens) and that's when it really hits me that they don't know shit.

They are like the proverbial professor in the ivory tower who has no freaking clue.

Problem is, having a clue is supposed to be their reason for existence.