Alterman: Journalism Obsessed By 'Crap'

[NVMojo]

Published: February 22, 2005 updated 3:30 PM ET

CHICAGO Mired in trivialities of its own making, mainstream journalism needs new "giants" willing to stand up for traditional standards of truth-telling, media commentator and historian Eric Alterman said in a lecture yesterday at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Alterman lamented that important stories such as the abuse at the U.S. military's Abu Gharib prison in Iraq are "one-week stories" at best, while attention is lavished on sagas such as the Scott Peterson murder trial.

"Journalists are responsible for that, in part because they have become part of the permanent government, and in part because we've become so addicted to the spectacle," he said. "I do think the media are to be blamed for devoting so much of their space to crap."


more...

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000809172

[fishface]

1. The Lame Stream Media's focus now is playing to the

Fox News nitwits who thrive on the salacious and shy from the real news,especially any that may reflect badly on their cult leader smirk.

As evidenced by the post about Arlen Spector's office.

[Enquiringkitty]

2. Have you seen an older movie called "Network News"?

A reporter has a nervous break down and tells everyone on the air to go to the window, open it up, stick your head out and yell,"I'm AS MAD AS HELL AND I'm NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE." When they start doing it the news turns into entertainment. I think that is basically what has happened.

[dummy-du1]

4. Yep

The movie is from 1976, named "Network", and was directed by Sidney Lumet. Here's the imdb entry:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/

I especially liked the scene where the TV reporter is chosen by the mighty boss of the corporation (AKA god) to spread the gospel of neoconservatism (or neoliberalism - who knows the difference?) into the world:

Mr. Jensen: They say I can sell anything. I'd like to try to sell something to you.
Mr. Jensen: It is the international system of currency which determines the vitality of life on this planet. That is the natural order of things today. That is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today! And you have meddled with the primal forces of nature! And you will atone! Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little 21 inch screen and howl about America and democracy. There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today.
Mr. Jensen: You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won't have it! Is that clear? You think you've merely stopped a business deal? That is not the case. The Arabs have taken billions of dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back! It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity. It is ecological balance. You are an old man who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations! There are no peoples! There are no Russians! There are no Arabs! There are no third worlds! There is no West! There is only one holistic system of systems; one vast, interwoven, interacting, multivaried, multinational dominion of dollars!
Mr. Jensen: The world is a business, Mr. Beale. It has been since man crawled out of the slime. Our children will live, Mr. Beale, to see that perfect world in which there's no war or famine, oppression or brutality -- one vast and ecumenical holding company, for whom all men will work to serve a common profit, in which all men will hold a share of stock -- all necessities provided, all anxieties tranquilized, all boredom amused. And I have chosen you, Mr. Beale, to preach this evangel.
Howard Beale: Why me?
Mr. Jensen: Because you're on television, dummy. Sixty million people watch you every night of the week, Monday through Friday.
Howard Beale: I have seen the face of God.
Mr. Jensen: You just might be right, Mr. Beale.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

7. Classic scene from a classic movie...here's another:

Howard Beale: "Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube. This tube is the gospel, the ultimate revelation; this tube can make or break presidents, popes, prime ministers; this tube is the most awesome goddamn propaganda force in the whole godless world, and woe is us if it ever falls into the hands of the wrong people, and that's why woe is us that Edward George Ruddy died. Because this company is now in the hands of CCA, the Communications Corporation of America; there's a new chairman of the board, a man called Frank Hackett, sitting in Mr. Ruddy's office on the twentieth floor. And when the 12th largest company in the world controls the most awesome goddamn propaganda force in the whole godless world, who knows what shit will be peddled for truth on this network?"

[NVMojo]

11. That was a great movie!!

must rent from Netflix and watch it again, soon!!!

The media is ignoring Gannon stuff cuz they missed it and they don't wanna bite the hand that feeds them.

[dweller]

12. get a copy of 'Videodrome' too...

but be careful, it bites.

dp

[cornermouse]

3. National Enquireritis.

[emanymton]

5. Media Sees Themselves As Entertainment

It is all about the buck. Blaming the messenger because the masses want entertainment may make some feel superior, but what does it matter. Corporate marketing rules.


Bush Lied, People Died, Media Cheered

[mandyky]

6. Since election I only watch a maximum of 3 of TV news

I used to have CNN all day long.
CNN in particular has degraded to such a mess that Ted Turner must really feel bad.

[cthrumatrix]

8. just say it --- corporate media cartle & govt support each other

it's not about truth or justice for the people

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. I think what happened is

that the media moguls who bought up the news were only interested in making money. They saw that supermarket tabloids outsold many newspapers, so they decided tabloid journalism was good enough for them. I'm just waiting for CNN to run a piece on Elvis and aliens.

[Jon8503]

10. This is correct so why are they not focused on the Gannon story, the

seedy male prostitution, gay websites, who knows where it could lead.

The perfect story for Fox and other MSM.