Why is the news so bad? What can progressives do to fix it?

[deutsey]

The question is posed in this article in "In These Times"

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2069/

Snip

With this issue of In These Times, we explore the contours of the current media landscape, map the contested territory, and chart the dissimilar conservative and progressive media strategies.

More...

[blm]

1. The corporate news media is the ruination of this country.

More than ever, it protects the powerful so they can get away with their pursuit of a full fascist takeover of this nation.

The DNC needs to expose this to the American people in every way they can.

If the GOP control over most of the broadcast media and most of the voting machines is not exposed, we can kiss any semblance of democracy goodbye for generations to come.

This is what makes talk of any rightward changes to the Dem party or that ANY Democrat would win ib 2008 absurd. The only Dem who can win is the one who can control the broadcast media's storyline. Not even the silver-throated Clinton has been able to do that.

[deutsey]

2. What struck me about the graphic of the rightwing media network

in this article is how terrified the right is that their point of view can't withstand scrutiny and debate.

Why else would they need to have such tight control over the media?

It might very well be their Achilles heel if we can get an effective progressive media network together that challenges their spin.

[blm]

3. The bigger point to me is that there is no fact-based media to counter the

RW message machine that BushInc uses to push their view of a fascist nation run by the corporations and for the benefit of the corporate elite and privileged.

Progressives shouldn't NEED to create a media to put forth the facts the American people should know as a matter of course from actual news gathering done by objective news services.

[Tigress DEM]

13. Exactly. Sort of. NO fact-based MAINSTREAM MEDIA

And since you have to dig through the internet to find alternative media sources, it amounts to the same thing.

America deserves truthful reporting in the media, if the progressives have to create a new media that does the job, so be it. But the Mainstream Media should be totally and completely ashamed of causing us to have to go to such lengths.

Just saw my first billboard ad for Air America 950 here in the Twin Cities.... Said, "Where the Left is Right and the Right is Wrong"
I laughed and then tuned in right away.

There is also a new DEMSTV.com out there, but my security on my system is so high, I'm having problems with flash. Besides their site wants to load Yahoo Toolbar with it and I'm in IT and there are many other places to put that toolbar as far as I'm concerned. Not on MY desktop. ;-)

[blm]

4. This really deserves to be read by as many as possible. Recommended

Especially for those who think that there is no way their preferred candidate can lose in 2008 or would have lost in 2004.

[TayTay]

5. Kick n/t

[whometense]

6. Thanks!

Terrific article. And a HUGE problem.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

7. This is one of the biggest problems in this country.

As long as the media fails to point out the horrible things that are going on - they will continue.

[deutsey]

8. I think media reform is the thing I'm going to focus most of my energy on

I'd been leaning toward that for a while, but after reading this article I'm convinced it's one of the main roots of the problem facing America today.

[blm]

12. Amen, brother deutsey....Amen.

Just think what our government would look like if we had any semblance of objectivity in the news media. The people of this country need to hear objectivity, not fascist fodder.

[AuntiBush]

10. And they FAIL MISERABLY, at that.

MSNBC, CNN, FOX and the rest should all hang their corporate heads in shame. Those bonus checks must be pretty big to not give a damn about your fellow Americans.

[AuntiBush]

9. Jeez. Come-up w/Trillions of Dollars to BUY Network Air Time

How else can one counter $$$ corporate owned so-called News channels. When in reality, they're far from it. Rather, Fox and MSNBC for the most part, as well as CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS do at times appear to flip-flop 'round, they still radically shove and push the Bush agenda.

So, is anyone can come up a few trillion bucks, we have a chance to re-open the MSN. Till then, it's propaganda - alive and well in the free US of ?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

11. Here's another good site with a petition "Stop News Fraud"

Petition:
http://www.freepress.net/action/fakenews


http://www.freepress.net/propaganda/

“State-run media” is a phrase normally reserved for regimes such as North Korea that manipulate and censor all public information. Media in the United States were thought to be free of such autocratic control, but recent maneuvers by the Bush administration should make all of us stand up and take notice.

-snip-

A Systemic Pattern of Abuse
Despite the cascade of criticism in the media and elsewhere, the Bush team continues to manipulate the press. They intend to produce more video news releases to build support for Bush’s Social Security, education, Medicare, anti-drug and other plans. Already, State Department, Defense Department, Transportation Security Administration and Agriculture Department video segments have been beamed over hundreds of local TV stations. All told, at least 20 federal agencies have quietly used this tactic to cloak the administration’s messages as objective television news. And it’s all done at the taxpayers’ expense.

What we are witnessing is a systemic pattern of abuse by an executive branch that is siphoning up taxpayer money to covertly manipulate the Fourth Estate. The administration has more than doubled its public relations budget, tapping a quarter billion in taxpayer dollars since Bush came into office. But while some in Washington have taken up the call for investigations, they have yet to raise this issue beyond a probe into a few bad actors — such as Williams — to finger the real source of the problem.

-snip-

The official silence speaks volumes. Without popular dissent, an emboldened White House will continue to throw up obstacles to full disclosure. It is now up to the public to do what our elected officials are unwilling or unable to: pressure our government to exert proper legal scrutiny of possible White House propaganda crimes.

[rox63]

14. This is such an important issue

An uniformed or misinformed electorate is powerless. Democracy can't function without a free press and a free flow of information.

Kick

[WildEyedLiberal]

15. Kick!

Great article, thanks for posting!

:kick:

[politicasista]

16. Thanks for posting this

Extrememely important that the DNC exposes this media bias. :kick: :kick:

[deutsey]

17. Kick

[blm]

18. and again....

I really wish more had seen it. Maybe you can post the graph and start another thread.

Everyone complains about the media, but few take it as serious a problem as it is. I think NOTHING changes until the left exposes exactly how much control the fascists have over the messages in the media.