Corporate Media *Untells* the ALEC Story

[annabanana]

http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/07/03/corporate-media-untells-the-alec-story/

Independent media outlets have basically owned the ALEC story over the past few years. The American Legislative Exchange Council is a corporate-sponsored "bill mill" that works with state legislatures to pass the kinds of laws corporations want. Thanks to investigations in Mother Jones, the Nation, Extra! and continued attention from the likes of AlterNet and ThinkProgress, a group that prefers to work in the shadows has been exposed to a harsh spotlight. And the group doing much of the hard work to expose ALEC–the Center for Media & Democracy–has pushed many of the group's corporate backers to bail out.

So that's the ALEC story in the independent media. What does it look like in the hands of the corporate media? CBS Evening News gave us a look on June 30. And it sure isn't pretty.

CBS anchor Lee Cowan introduced the piece by noting, "Critics complain that ALEC is a corporate-backed bill mill. ALEC calls itself the defender of free markets and smaller government."

To help settle that dispute between ALEC and its many critics, correspondent Mark Strassmann talked to only one source: Chip Rogers, who just so happens to be ALEC's national treasurer and the Georgia State Senate majority leader. So Rogers could, without challenge, tell the group's story of beleaguered corporations that must "continually look over their shoulders to protect themselves from an onerous government."

more at link

[scarletwoman]

1. Excellent post, thank you. K&R (nt)

[alittlelark]

2. KnR.

[upi402]

3. Extra! is wonderful

They told the story of the pro-NAFTA media spin. And then our "Democrats" won the day anyway, with predictable Republican help.

ALEC is just a public acknowledgment that we have lost our democracy to corporatism. And most of the media is their propaganda organ.

[Scootaloo]

4. "Critics complain that ALEC is a corporate-backed bill mill."

"ALEC calls itself the defender of free markets and smaller government."

Toh-may-to, toh-mah-to.

[Zalatix]

9. +100,000!

[DirkGently]

5. Where are all the journalists?

Last edited Sat Jul 7, 2012, 12:28 PM - Edit history (1)

The idea used to be to help the public determine who was telling the truth, not just regurgitate P.R.

"Well, it sure looks like ALEC is a corporate-backed pill mill, but hey, ALEC says otherwise. I'll guess we'll never know (shrug)."

Jesus.

[shcrane71]

7. They were all fired and replaced with people who would write "news"

that the owners wanted to hear.

[annabanana]

8. frustratin' ain't it? And it's only going

to get worse as we get closer to November

[DirkGently]

11. I think the entire profession has been compromised.

I was trained as a journalist. I don't hold with the dum-dum public view of dismissing all journalists and news organizations. There are good ones and always have been.

But now I don't know. "He said / she said" has turned a lot of the press into brainless dictaphones, buying the story that everything's just a matter of spin or opinion, leaving people to, as they are, just believe whatever makes them feel comfortable.

I think we need more non-profit news orgs. ProPublica is doing really solid work (thanks, Wikileaks). NPR has its moments, though it recently "pledged" (hahahahaha) to do better qualitative analysis.

We'll see. But we need real journalism now like never before.

[annabanana]

17. The job of "newsreader" has been taken by the children of the 1%.

The cute ones who can read reasonably well. There is very little journalism out there anymore.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. We try...

But it is mostky, as the article stated, in indie media.

FYI most indie reporters are working for near,y free. Support independent media.

[DirkGently]

12. I do. But we need large-scale journalism too. I think non-profits might be way forward.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Yes, but won't happen with CBS.

For the record most still watch the large corporate media. Today at the occupy rally, we literally were in shock a local station showed up...it was mostly indie reporters.

[DirkGently]

14. Sometimes local press comes through.

Our local paper, the Orlando Sentinel, gets nicknamed "The Slantinel" by many. But its got some really solid columnists who are digging into local shenanigans quite effectively.

And -- this was weird -- the local *Fox* affiliate was perhaps the kindest and most interested local tv outlet vis a vis Occupy Orlando. This, despite being (somewhat understandably) razzed and middle-fingered by a lot of Occupiers.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Local fox station was the best

As well. Explaining the difference between national and local is hard at times.

[DirkGently]

6. Bump for visibility.

ALEC is the real version of the type of organized, corrupt influence the right claimed ACORN was.

So, let's see, ACORN registered poor people to vote and organized direct help for actual people.

ALEC pushes pernicious legislation that favors, for example, the right to shoot people who scare you.


It's the the core of journalism to point out the huge, stark, glaring difference, not help paper it over.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. They're not alone. After Comicon I need to dig on local version

They're just the biggests.