February 14, 2005
The Media and The Public Interest
The drive to invade Iran is increasing. However, the propaganda war on the American people has already gotten sloppy. As Bradblog notes, they are using the same pictures as “proof” of nuclear facilities in both Iran and Korea. Cnn will of course march out some insignificant low level staffer and sacrifice them if this ever gets any coverage at all.
The news media was completely complacent in the lead up to the Iraq war, and now it appears that they are striving to take a more active role in misleading the public. While the FCC obsesses over Janet Jackson's breast and Howard Stern's prurient interest in lesbians it chooses to ignore any substantive issues in their role of protecting the public interest. Rather than spend all of their time responding to a handful of cranks with a religious axe to grind, shouldn't the FCC be focused instead on ensuring that those companies who take advantage of a public resource are using it responsibly?
Posted by rev_matt_y at February 14, 2005 11:05 AMThe FCC is not responsible for doing the Press’ job. The problem is that the Press is now run as a business instead of a public service. There is no way you can make a profit doing investigative journalism. It is expensive and makes many enemies. So the Press becomes a giant microphone for any lies the Republicans say.
Posted by: Aldous at February 14, 2005 04:13 PMAldous:
“So the Press becomes a giant microphone for any lies the Republicans say.”
That is so true, Aldous.
Our country is currently run by people for whom the truth means NOTHING. And because they spout ideological nonsense, and the press feels the need to just keep reporting whatever they say with a straight face and a professional manner, they have become a giant microphone for Bullshit of the highest order.
And lately, rather than attempt to report this Bullshit at all (which makes them so obviously guilty of not even trying to get at the truth, as well as making them look extremely stupid), what the cable news networks are doing is simply putting political partisans on the air and let them be the ones to repeat GOP propaganda verbatim.
I believe they think this lets them off the hook.
In my opinion, it doesn’t.
Yeah, it’s also pretty pathetic when a news agency will report a GOP statement verbatim, then as a show of “objectivity”, get a dissenting statement from the Democrats, leaving it to the reader to figure out who’s actually telling the truth.
That’s not even journalism, that’s just being a spin conduit for both sides.
BTW, you’re not a real journalist until you’re a war journalist. The media loves a good war. It makes for pretty pictures, riveting stories, and dazzling career boosts.
This country has become a totalitarian cvountry when no one questions anything that this admonistration puts forth. When Colin Uncle tom Ppowel made his speech at the UN with the CIa Director watching his every word not one politician questioned him not did the media. When the President had a box on his back during the debates it was dismissed as nothing. When the wealthest Americans get tax cuts and the budget goes bust 6 trillion so what. Now the Social security is being debated during a war where are the senior citzens. The real war began in this country when we allowed the media to take the lead and fail.
Posted by: sean at February 16, 2005 02:10 PMSpeaking of the media and war, did you see how the stock market hiccupped when they reported on the explosion in Iran. Man, everybody’s expecting an attack. FOX’s initial title for their online report (subsequently changed when facts became available) was something like “Missile Strike in Iran!”
