"The Democrats Tiny Megaphone".........Robert Parry asks "Why?"

[KoKo]

(Great Read about why Power Dems complain but won't recognize what they are up against)
By Robert Parry
February 9, 2006

But what has been remarkable – considering the stakes involved for American democracy – is that wealthy progressives and major liberal foundations have mostly stayed on the sidelines, avoiding a significant investment in media infrastructure.

A shortage of money almost doomed Air America on takeoff and still limits its expansion, especially into the Red States. The Left’s funders have continued a pattern that can be traced back to the 1970s of focusing on “grassroots organizing” and “activism” instead of building media outlets and producing journalistic content.

When liberal foundations do provide money for media, it is often for “media reform,” which can be translated into organizing around media issues. So, the Left ends up financing petition drives that demand President Bush appoint someone nice to run the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or the Federal Communications Commission, when those appeals are certain to have no effect.

Triangulating

Another consequence of the Right’s smart media investments – versus the Left’s clueless approach – is that nearly everyone at the national level in politics and journalism reacts to the pressures that the conservative media brings to bear.

Though Bill and Hillary Clinton may have popularized the concept of “triangulation,” it was a natural reaction to the career dangers faced in Washington once the conservative media became an intimidating force in the 1980s.

Intuitively, journalists began positioning themselves to avoid being branded “liberal,” a label that could mean the end of a promising career. National Democrats also tried to shield themselves from taking the brunt of the Right media’s attack by giving themselves some conservative cover.

Over time, rank-and-file Democrats grew furious – or demoralized – over what they saw as the equivocation and ineffectiveness of the party leadership. That, in turn, generated more stories about Democratic divisions and indecision.

So, while Kerry has a point in noting that a key weakness of the Democrats is the size of their megaphone, the more pertinent question is: What is America’s liberal community going to do about it?

For more on the nation’s media dilemma, see Consortiumnews.com’s “The Left’s Media Miscalculation” or “Five Pointers for a Left Media,” or read Robert Parry’s Secrecy & Privilege.

Much More of this great but long read at.....

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/020806.html

[AX10]

1. I've read this before and posted it too. Will recomend.

:dem:

[KoKo]

7. Articles scroll by here on DU so fast there's not enough time to catch

them. Thanks for the K&R...maybe others who missed your post will get to read it. I should have put it in Editorials, maybe for a longer stay.

[Skidmore]

2. All the more reason to oust the Clinton contingent at this

time.

[John Q. Citizen]

9. Ousting contingents is what we do best!

Um, is that a good thing?

So how does that relate to a bigger megaphone? Or do you blame the Clinton contingent for our small megaphone?

I do to a degree, for sure. The telecommunications bill was a disater.

But the horse is out of the barn. I guess my point is how do we grab a good chunk of the Airwaves back? And how does ousting contingents accomplish the goal of a larger megaphone?

[Skidmore]

10. The Clinton contingent think they own the small megaphone.

They're also hoping that the larger megaphone will be handed to them gratis because they know the pendulum will swing back to the left some day. They want to grab the sucker when it passes center.

[European Socialist]

3. The left needs a cable news outlet. nt

[blm]

4. The Carville Dems don't acknowledge corporate media as THE problem that

blocks their messages and issues from being heard.

[KittyWampus]

14. Why should they, though? Carville Dems get paid big bucks by the corp

orate media,

[ProSense]

5. Parry is a BCCI investigative reporter. He's right

Dems need to build a mass media outlet.

[cyclezealot]

6. Local affiliates probably would refuse Air America anyway.

Local affiliates being owned by who know who. And to think Democrats in 1996 with the passage of the FCC act allowed this to happen to themselves. Concentration of media ownership.
Democratic cowardess. By so many Democrats at least. Anyone recall the Saturday night Live -situation. Where the wife had a zipper attached to her husband's reproductive parts. SHe removes it at will.
His plea. IT's Saturday night can I have it back! That is too many Democrats.

[radio4progressives]

8. People like Heinze has the money to invest...

why, not?

[KoKo]

11. there are SO MANY! Why didn't Soros buy one...there are so many

Billionaires and Millionaires these days...and really...some of them are really getting concerned about the Chimp-in-Thief. :shrug:

[KoKo]

12. It was posted on DU that Kerry addressed "our problem" on Ed Schultz

today...but I didn't have time to listen to his show. Did anyone hear what Kerry said about this? It would be good to know.

[blm]

16. In the thread he said the media uses RW talking points on the issues and

that WH insiders boast about owning congress and the media.

[KoKo]

13. kick for the late night crowd.........

[dusty64]

15. Kick.

:kick: