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Tim
SFN Regular
USA
775 Posts |
 Posted - 02/04/2005 : 09:29:00 [Permalink]
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quote:
Posted by Starman
Control the information and you don't have to worry about the democratic process...
Yeah, that's the whole point, and the control of the media is more extensive than the radio talk show wars and FOX News.
People like Al Frankin can call Limbaugh's, Hannity's and the other right sensationalists' lies all day long, but the fact is, he rarely gets invited to the network and cable news shows, (a bit less than Ann Coulter, I would think). When he does, he often comes off rude, wild-eyed and is often the object of inuendo by the hosts after the debate part of the show is over.
The next thing, it seems to me, is that the mainstream news uses think tanks and other spin oriented foundations like a tool. For instance, the Libertarian think tank, the CATO Institute, is rarely used for war or socially related issues, but are often used as experts in financial or economic concerns. The moderately liberal Brookings Instituted seems to be most quoted when concerned with civil and indivdual liberty issues, but rarely economic or financial issues. The right leaning groups like Focus on the Family and the Heritage Foundation make news, while the secular groups like the various Scaife foundations or their surragates are used in counterbalance for every issue.
I don't remember the last time I saw more than a ten second sound bite from a left leaning academician. However, the right leaning ones still make news, especially the economists and school deans.
This may be from my own bias, but I see the mainstream news organizations using the information fed to them though the filters of business. Let's face it, newspapers like the NY Times get the liberal tag even though they have one of the best balanced editorial pages in the nation. Papers like the Wall Street Journal are seldom tagged, but have one of the most openly biased editorial pages in the nation.
The biggest propoganda tool of the media is the tool of silence. For instance, the only reason most people realize that Social Security is NOT in crises is because they use the internet or alternative radio for a good portion of their news. Only today, CNN quoted GW as saying that SS will be insolvent as of 2042. (He used a real number with a bad interpretation). The counterpoint was the ONE democratic Senator that did not sign the Senate Democrat's letter of concern to the president. So, instead of having a real counterpoint, they gave a massage of indecision--No whys or hows!
But, it still pisses me off that the administration uses our tax money to lobby for issues. I wonder how many more bought columnists are going to squirm out of the woodwork. What's the number up to now? Four?
Edited because I just had to throw this in--Call it venting...
Someone mentioned the forged documents at CBS. Well, that's the problem. There were only a couple of documents out of dozens that were in question, and none have been actually proven to be forgeries, though they are questionable. Nevertheless, all of the rest of the work was discredited in the mainstream news, and an essentially true story about the President's military career is turned into an abuse by CBS. Most people I know hardly remember why CBS got in trouble in the first place. They remember 'liberal lies at CBS.' Welcome to the deep south... |
"We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin' out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their -- their love with women all across this country." Dubya in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 9/6/2004
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| Edited by - Tim on 02/04/2005 09:40:32 |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2005 : 09:34:43 [Permalink]
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quote:
This may be from my own bias, but I see the mainstream news organizations using the information fed to them though the filters of business.
Might have something to do with the mainstream media all being OWNED by one large coproration of another.
Until the US removes control of the publicly owned airwaves from for-profit corporations, and only lets non-profit/non-partisan companies broadcast on our public property.... we will just have to deal with a media who's ONLY priority is ratings.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Tim
SFN Regular
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2005 : 09:46:56 [Permalink]
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quote:
Posted by Dude
Might have something to do with the mainstream media all being OWNED by one large coproration of another.
Yeah, I don't think most people get it, (outside of SFN and a few other places). Corporate management really has an obligation to slant the news in order to maximize profits to shareholders. That's their job!
Even if the TV networks lose money, but their operations increase profits to other entities within the corporation, they have fulfilled their obligations to the shareholders. It's true Capitalism at it's best. |
"We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin' out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their -- their love with women all across this country." Dubya in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 9/6/2004
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2005 : 12:15:02 [Permalink]
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And now, US propoganda and disinformation spreads even further! According to the CNN article,quote:
The Defense Department runs two Web sites overseas, one aimed at people in the Balkan region in Europe, the other for the Maghreb area of North Africa. . . [and] is preparing another site . . .
Unfortunately, that these "news" sites are sponsored by the US military is not overtly mentioned (one must "click on a small link -- at the bottom of the page -- to a disclaimer, which says, in part, that the site is "sponsored by" the U.S. Department of Defense").
Moreover, according to Deputy Defense Whore Secretary Wolfowitz, "the Web site contractor should only hire journalists who 'will not reflect discredit on the U.S. government.'" In other words, more Bush propoganda. This, despite the flack the administration got over paying conservative whores pundits to plug dubious and controversial Bush initiatives.
It gets more frightening all the time! |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2005 : 23:16:36 [Permalink]
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Well, not to be plugging for donations but I gave my donations this year to free speech news sites, DemocracyNow directly and the local college station that carries it.
I do think we are in big trouble as a nation considering how easy it is to manipulate the 'silent majority'.
I don't want to buy into TEOTWAWKI scenarios but between serious government control of information and the impending Avian Flu pandemic, I am a bit more worried than usual. Do you think I'm losing my skeptic's viewpoint from too much exposures to the conspiracy crowd? |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2005 : 08:17:38 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by beskeptigal
I don't want to buy into TEOTWAWKI scenarios but between serious government control of information and the impending Avian Flu pandemic, I am a bit more worried than usual. Do you think I'm losing my skeptic's viewpoint from too much exposures to the conspiracy crowd?
Well, I think there are still enough independent sources of news (e.g. internet bloggers!) that it would be difficult to totally shut down the flow of information. At least in most cases-- that scene in the film Armageddon (I know...) where Billy Bob Thornton says that essentially the US Government controlled all the telescopes that could actually see the giant asteriod sort of bothered me.
In any case, about the "conspiracy crowd"-- the real trick is trying to figure out when they're right and when they're wrong. their track records isn't great, but one of these days they're going to get it right and we're just going to be sitting out our asses (well, I am...)! |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2005 : 13:17:34 [Permalink]
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There is definitely real news and plenty of sources of information available. That allows the administration to send their team out, like Conde Rice, with the hypocritical statements like this one:
quote:
"Obviously we have concerns ... it is important that Russia make clear to the world that it is intent on strengthening the rule of law, strengthening the role of an independent judiciary, permitting a free and independent press, of course," Rice told a news conference in Warsaw, during a stopover en route to Turkey.
I think that's almost worse. We have a free press along with the manipulated press designed by the best marketers money can buy I would guess. So the public who want to believe in their happy little world can take their 'soma' and those of us who actually take the time to find the truth are stuck in the flow. It's one thing to criticize the government. It's another thing to criticize it and be arrested but people know you've been censored. But we have a third situation. The government criticism is effectively discounted, purposefully ignored, and the larger (in this case 51% but growing) part of the population is none the wiser. |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2005 : 08:41:36 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by beskeptigal
But wait, there's more....
It is with great pleasure we present Jeff Gannon, our new sneaky addition to the WA Press Corp.
According to MediaMatters, it looks like Jeff Gannon will no longer be a defacto Bush shill reporter for Talon News. His website says:quote:
Because of the attention being paid to me I find it is no longer possible to effectively be a reporter for Talon News. In consideration of the welfare of me and my family I have decided to return to private life.
I almost shed a tear!  |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2005 : 13:49:55 [Permalink]
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Well, you know, once a Bush scheme is revealed it loses its effect. They pretend it was some underlings idea they didn't know about and move on to the next scheme. How convenient for this guy to resign. As if he wasn't planted there. I'm sure we'll still have the same but maybe more subtle questions asked by future plants.
The way I see it they have 2 groups in that press corp. The legitimate reporters who have always been there, but only the ones who write the positive stuff. The rest were weeded out. And the second group is like Gannon who actually have planted questions. |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 03:28:02 [Permalink]
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More on Gannon aka Guckert. Turns out he's 100% fake plant by the Bush crowd. The Media Matters has the best coverage on the matter. But he may also be a gay smut peddler or something like that. They have a lot of stuff, including a picture. I don't know if it's made up or not. Judge for yourself.
I followed this from the Airamerica-radio program tonight.
blog
picture
blog2
blog3
link from blog 3
blog4 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 04:29:56 [Permalink]
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I am reminded that the first thing the Nazis did upon assuming power was to control the press.
The Gannon-or-Guckert-or-Whoever uproar will ultimatly be smoothed over and called 'no big deal', and Bush will continue on his cowardly and mendatious way.
But the number of no-big-deals are adding up. Sooner or later, even an entity as dense as the American general public will become impatient with it, then changes will be made. Right now though, people like the swine Limbaugh and the traitor Novak are having too much fun and becoming too wealthy, and will continue to fellate every rat-bastard, neo-con Republican they can get within zipper-range of.
The best way to find out what's actually going on is to monitor blogs such as Counterpunch, Eschaton, Buzzflash, Daily Howler, and so on. These days, you'll rarely get anything but blather from the mainstream.
What ever became of Media Whores on Line? That was a good one, and it just disappeared a few years ago.
Edited to add this and this. Also saw on Sludge that the WP might be getting a little backbone.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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| Edited by - filthy on 02/10/2005 04:43:25 |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 07:50:38 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
The best way to find out what's actually going on is to monitor blogs such as Counterpunch, Eschaton, Buzzflash, Daily Howler, and so on. These days, you'll rarely get anything but blather from the mainstream.
What ever became of Media Whores on Line? That was a good one, and it just disappeared a few years ago.
Edited to add this and this. Also saw on Sludge that the WP might be getting a little backbone.
Another good blog to look at is Talking Points Memo. Any others? |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 08:40:51 [Permalink]
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Well, lessee....
Media Matters for America
American Politics Journal
Democrats.com
News and Opinion
Fact Check
Crooks and Liars
And there's a lot more out there, some good, others about what you'd expect of hysteria. My favorite wingnut site is Free Republic. The Freepers are so strenously vindictive that they make the Klan look like a bunch of lefty-pinko nancy boys in the comparison. Highly amusing! Got banned from there some years ago after a single post. Wonder why.... 
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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| Edited by - filthy on 02/10/2005 08:44:44 |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2005 : 14:01:08 [Permalink]
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Thanks for the links. How will I find the time.....
I'm also hearing rumors the elections in Iraq were a 'marketed' success. That one's hard to tell since one doesn't want to jump on the disgruntled reporters' bandwagon. But the reports are a bit credible in that they are saying the media was only accessing voting events in areas of the country expected to go well. And now we have a certain 'delay' in results. I'm sure the conspiracy theories will be flaming from that one. |
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Starman
SFN Regular
Sweden
1613 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2005 : 01:26:32 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by beskeptigal
I'm also hearing rumors the elections in Iraq were a 'marketed' success.
That is probably the only thing that really matters in this election, peoples, nations and organizations opinion of it.
If this election is accepted we can worry about democracy next time.
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"Any religion that makes a form of torture into an icon that they worship seems to me a pretty sick sort of religion quite honestly"
-- Terry Jones |
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